My Father’s Shadow, the feature debut of British Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies Jr., is set for Netflix This September. The screenplay, which is co-written by Wale Davies, captures a coming-of-age journey set against one of the most turbulent moments in West African history.
Filmed primarily in Lagos, My Father’s Shadow unfolds over a single, fateful day in June 1993. The story follows two young brothers, Akin, played by Godwin Chiemerie Egbo, and Remi, played by Chibuike Egbo. In rural Nigeria, the boys are surprised when their long-absent father unexpectedly reappears. They embark on a journey that gradually begins to reveal the complex individual behind their idealized image of him. As the night falls and the military regime officially annuls the democratic vote, chaos explodes across the city, entangling the family in the crosshairs of a country on the brink of military rule.
According to Culture Custodian My Father’s Shadow was shot on 16mm film by cinematographer Jermaine Edwards. It made history as the first-ever Nigerian film selected for the official competition at the Cannes Film Festival, where it premiered in the Un Certain Regard section and earned a Camera d’Or Special Mention.
The movie goes on to an extraordinary global festival run, where it racked up major awards at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA) and at BAFTA for outstanding debut by a British Writer, director, or producer. Sope Dirisu, who plays the father in My Father’s Shadow, also earned a Gotham Independent Film Award for Outstanding Lead Performance.
According to What Kept Me UP, My Father’s Shadow is scheduled to arrive on Netflix on September 21, 2026.
