Children’s ingenuity is something so unoffensive yet powerful, since it allows us to perceive things through a different lens. Glory be to God indeed.

Definitely looking forward to Akinola Davies Jr’s future works.

Children’s ingenuity is something so unoffensive yet powerful, since it allows us to perceive things through a different lens. Glory be to God indeed.

Definitely looking forward to Akinola Davies Jr’s future works.

My Father's Shadow is such a tender and personal directoral debut from Akinola Davies Jr. After the credits rolled I found out this isn't even told directly from Davies' memory and is instead almost a window into what a relationship with his father might have looked like, which makes this even more beautifully heart wrenching than it already is.

I didn't know anything about the election crisis that is used as a political backdrop, however that doesn't make it any less tense or impactful. It's used as a ticking time bomb that you just can't help but wait as it slowly counts down to an inevitable explosion.

Sope Dirisu is phenomenal, his performance is so weighted and deep, but still carries subtleties within that make his character feel lived in. There's a lot of talk about a particular beach scene, and for good reason. It's written with such care and truly feels like something you remember experiencimg as a child, but not fully understanding or appreciating until your adult years. The same could be said for the entire film really, but that one particular scene truly excels within that space.

Truly a gem of a film that I hope gets all the love and attention it deserves when people talk about the best films of the year, and perhaps the decade.

2026 Ranked

My Father's Shadow is such a tender and personal directoral debut from Akinola Davies Jr. After the credits rolled I found out this isn't even told directly from Davies' memory and is instead almost a window into what a relationship with his father might have looked like, which makes this even more beautifully heart wrenching than it already is.

I didn't know anything about the election crisis that is used as a political backdrop, however that doesn't make it any less tense or impactful. It's used as a ticking time bomb that you just can't help but wait as it slowly counts down to an inevitable explosion.

Sope Dirisu is phenomenal, his performance is so weighted and deep, but still carries subtleties within that make his character feel lived in. There's a lot of talk about a particular beach scene, and for good reason. It's written with such care and truly feels like something you remember experiencimg as a child, but not fully understanding or appreciating until your adult years. The same could be said for the entire film really, but that one particular scene truly excels within that space.

Truly a gem of a film that I hope gets all the love and attention it deserves when people talk about the best films of the year, and perhaps the decade.

2026 Ranked

Nijerya kökenli Akinola Davies Jr.’ın debut filmi My Father’s Shadow yarı-otobiyografik ve oldukça dokunaklı bir hikaye anlatıyor. Seyirciyi 1993 Nijerya’sına götüren film, politik kaosun ortasında bir baba ve iki oğlunun Lagos’a yolculuğunu konu alıyor. Ben filmi birçok yönden Aftersun’a benzettim, tıpkı Aftersun gibi My Father’s Shadow da erken kaybedilmiş bir babaya duyulan özlemi resmeden son derece kişisel bir anlatı. Filmin bu kadar doğal ve içten hissettirmesinde başroldeki Sope Dirisu dışında oyuncu kadrosunun büyük ölçüde profesyonel olmayan isimlerden oluşmasının da payı büyük. Geçen sene çok konuşulmamış olsa da My Father’s Shadow kesinlikle 2025’in kıyıda köşede kalmış cevherlerinden biri.

Nijerya kökenli Akinola Davies Jr.’ın debut filmi My Father’s Shadow yarı-otobiyografik ve oldukça dokunaklı bir hikaye anlatıyor. Seyirciyi 1993 Nijerya’sına götüren film, politik kaosun ortasında bir baba ve iki oğlunun Lagos’a yolculuğunu konu alıyor. Ben filmi birçok yönden Aftersun’a benzettim, tıpkı Aftersun gibi My Father’s Shadow da erken kaybedilmiş bir babaya duyulan özlemi resmeden son derece kişisel bir anlatı. Filmin bu kadar doğal ve içten hissettirmesinde başroldeki Sope Dirisu dışında oyuncu kadrosunun büyük ölçüde profesyonel olmayan isimlerden oluşmasının da payı büyük. Geçen sene çok konuşulmamış olsa da My Father’s Shadow kesinlikle 2025’in kıyıda köşede kalmış cevherlerinden biri.

Basically a Nigerian Aftersun. The 16mm visuals feel like you’re in a dream.

Basically a Nigerian Aftersun. The 16mm visuals feel like you’re in a dream.

j'ai vraiment vraiment aimé. On suivait à la fois deux petits loulous qui passent du temps avec leur père et une journée hyper importante dans l'histoire du Nigéria, et c'était deux plans qui s'entremêlaient avec un réel impact l'un sur l'autre. Moi je suis une très grande fan des films où des enfants sont spectateurs du monde très anxiogènes des adultes, et pour le coup le contexte politique et les discussions entre le père et ses fils nous poussent à voir le film au delà de ce qu'on nous montre, ça nous projete dans leur futur, et c'est cool (hope ça make sense). Pour le coup le film était vraiment déchirant, et magnifique. Ça propose pas ça à Cergy brf

j'ai vraiment vraiment aimé. On suivait à la fois deux petits loulous qui passent du temps avec leur père et une journée hyper importante dans l'histoire du Nigéria, et c'était deux plans qui s'entremêlaient avec un réel impact l'un sur l'autre. Moi je suis une très grande fan des films où des enfants sont spectateurs du monde très anxiogènes des adultes, et pour le coup le contexte politique et les discussions entre le père et ses fils nous poussent à voir le film au delà de ce qu'on nous montre, ça nous projete dans leur futur, et c'est cool (hope ça make sense). Pour le coup le film était vraiment déchirant, et magnifique. Ça propose pas ça à Cergy brf