Wale and Akinola Davies say their childhood loss inspired My Father’s Shadow, the first Nigerian film selected for Cannes. The movie, which also screened at the Toronto film festival, draws from their memories of growing up without their father.
Set against the backdrop of the 1993 presidential election, the film follows two young brothers, Remi and Akin, who spend a transformative day exploring Lagos with their estranged father, Folarin.
“Yes, I think that in terms of the film, the main thing we wanted to focus on was memory and, you know, the fact that these children are spending a day with their father,” Wale Davies said at the Lagos premiere.
He added that the ending was painful to watch. “It wasn’t difficult to write, but it was difficult to watch because, you know, for me personally, it reminds me of the time when my father died at a similar age.”
His brother Akinola spoke of growing up angry at being named after a man he never knew. “So, quite literally, I’m having to live in this person’s shadow,” he said. “I was always very angry with the prospect of that because it always seemed this person was just this larger than life character that I’ll never be able to live up to.”
Akinola added that he resented watching their mother struggle alone. “For me, he represented the brunt of a lot of my frustrations. But the older I get, the more I see many doubts about the whole situation.”
Co-producer Funmbi Ogunbanwo said filming in Nigeria was “complicated and complex,” citing challenges with logistics, location access and basic utilities.
The film premiered at Cannes in May to a standing ovation and has since attracted global attention for its honest storytelling and emotional depth.
