In a remarkable turn of events that surprised even its creator, the United Kingdom has selected British-Nigerian director Akinola Davies Jr's debut feature 'My Father's Shadow' as its official entry for Best International Feature Film at the upcoming 98th Academy Awards. The semi-autobiographical film, which premiered under Un Certain Regard at Cannes, represents a significant milestone for Nigerian cinema.
A Personal Journey to International Recognition
The film follows a father and his two children in Nigeria's capital Lagos during the political unrest of 1993, drawing from Akinola's own experiences. Co-written with his brother Wales Davies, 'My Father's Shadow' marks the first Nigerian movie to be officially selected for Cannes, where it won special mention for the prestigious Caméra d'Or award.
Speaking to The Indian Express at the International Film Festival of India in Goa, where his feature was screened, Akinola expressed his astonishment at the film's success. "When we made the film, the focus was to do right by the script we wrote since people give us all this money to make a film. I'm really proud of any awards or any recognition that the film received," said the director, who graduated from the New York Film Academy in 2009.
Breaking Stereotypes in Nigerian Filmmaking
Unlike most commercial Nigerian films inspired by Hollywood and Bollywood in what's known as Nollywood, Akinola's work represents art house filmmaking. "It's important for me to bring resources back to Nigeria and empower the local film community," emphasized Akinola, whose film was shot on location in Lagos and Ibadan.
The director and his brother worked with two researchers to accurately portray the political context and deliberately moved away from stereotypes about Nigeria. "We tried to show the Nigeria we knew and we grew up in," Akinola explained, highlighting their commitment to authentic representation.
Channeling Personal Memories into Cinema
The film's emotional core stems from Akinola's personal history. The director was only 20 months old when his father passed away. "We remember being with our father on bed. We don't know if we made this up or someone told it to us. But the most important thing is that we feel that it's our memory and no one can take it away from us," he shared.
This powerful memory became the film's opening sequence, recreated with careful attention to detail. The project began when Wales initially wrote 'My Father's Shadow' as a short film, with Akinola asking for the opportunity to direct it.
The feature's selection for Un Certain Regard created history for Nigeria, and Akinola describes it as "a very emotional day for me. As a first-time filmmaker, it's an incredible platform to start my career at Cannes. The film has now brought me to IFFI, Goa."
Bridging Cultures Through Cinema
As a British-Nigerian navigating the complex history between Britain and Nigeria, Akinola believes in the power of cultural exchange. "Though there is a lot of difficult history since Britain had colonised Nigeria, there are people in those places trying to move towards a better understanding of how our cultures are integrated with each other," he noted.
The film received support from BBC Films, the British Film Institute, MUBI and Match Factory, demonstrating what Akinola sees as "a leaning towards telling more international stories because the UK and London are very cosmopolitan. It only benefits us knowing more about each other."
Beyond its Oscar submission status, 'My Father's Shadow' has secured an impressive 12 nominations for the 2025 British Independent Film Awards (BIFAs), cementing its position as a significant cinematic achievement that bridges cultures while telling a deeply personal Nigerian story.
