BBC and BFI  Co-finance Akinola Davies Jr.’s Lagos-Based Feature Debut “My Father’s Shadow”

British Broadcasting Corporation (BBC) and British Film Institute (BFI) have co-financed the production of My Father’s Shadow, an upcoming film directed by Akinola Davies Jr. The film is produced by Poor Things and Normal People outfit Element Pictures in conjunction with Crybaby and Fatherland Productions.

My Father’s Shadow, which marks Davies’ feature-length debut, is set in Lagos, Nigeria in 1993 and follows two brothers, Remi and Akin, who spend a day with their estranged father, Folarin. Against the backdrop of the 1993 presidential election result, the brothers navigate the city and have a firsthand experience of what it means to struggle for survival in the cosmopolitan centre. 

With Akinola Davies Jr. and Wale Davies as screenwriters, the cast of the film is spearheaded by British-Nigerian and Gangs Of London actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù. Both writers on this project have previously worked together on the short film Lizard, a recipient of the Grand Jury Prize at Sundance 2021 and bagged a nomination for Best British Short Film at British Academy of Film and Television Arts Awards (BAFTA). 

According to Davies Jr., “Bringing My Father’s Shadow to life in my home country, a story which is so personal to me and my brother Wale, who wrote the script, but one that I also hope will resonate with many, has been beyond a dream.” 

The filmmaker also acknowledged his effective collaboration with Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù whom he described as a “powerhouse” that “brought such magic to his character and has taken the script to a whole new level.” Musing over the success of the production, Davies Jr. gave credits to BBC Film’s Eva Yates for “unwavering support”, BFI’s Ama Ampadu, and key voices at Element Pictures and Fatherland Productions. “I’m excited to share with you the part of my home and the city I grew up in that is rarely seen on screen,” he stressed.

Developed by BBC Film, My Father’s Shadow will be distributed to a global audience by The Match Factory even though specific details of this are not yet known. MUBI pre-bought all rights in the UK, Ireland, North America, and Turkey. Plans for distribution across the UK and Ireland will be unveiled in the coming months.