My Father's Shadow

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My Father's Shadow

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1h 34m

Drama

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98%

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57 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

The UK's Best International Feature Film entry to the 98th Academy Awards® and recipient of the Caméra d'Or Special Mention at Cannes, Akinola Davis Jr.'s MY FATHER'S SHADOW is a poetic, tender portrait of father-son bonds. Framed by the political landscape of 1993 Lagos, the film follows a father and his two young sons as they journey into and around the vibrantly rendered Nigerian metropolis, quietly reckoning with their relationship while navigating a city on the precipice of democratic crisis. Brothers and collaborators Akinola Davis Jr. and Wale Davies bring us a groundbreaking feature debut -- centering an award-winning performance by Sopé Dìrísù (Slow Horses, Gangs of London) -- that reveals the profound depths of what families leave unspoken.

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My Father's Shadow

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Weaving high-stakes political commentary with rich personal dynamics that are bolstered by Sope Dirisu's commanding performance,My Father's Shadow casts a highly promising light on feature-debut director Akinola Davies' future.

The story two brothers tell themselves about their father, and about their childhood in Nigeria, My Father’s Shadow is as well-loved and well-worn as a lucky charm.

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Alissa Wilkinson

New York Times

It’s that sharp contrast of beauty with an undercurrent of pain that makes “My Father’s Shadow” so bittersweet, and it’s why it cuts to the quick.

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Cortlyn Kelly

Chicago Reader