- Title: Nigeria's first film in Cannes line-up explores masculinity, family dynamics
- Date: 19th May 2025
- Summary: CANNES, FRANCE (MAY 19, 2025) (REUTERS) ***WARNING: CONTAINS FLASH PHOTOGRAPHY*** SINGER RIHANNA, RAPPER-ACTOR A$AP ROCKY, DIRECTOR SPIKE LEE, LEE'S WIFE TONYA LEWIS LEE AT TOP OF STEPS IN POURING RAIN PHOTOGRAPHER SCRUM RIHANNA POSING FOR PHOTOS, SHOWING BABY BUMP VARIOUS OF ROCKY POSING PHOTOGRAPHERS ROCKY WITH ACTOR, DENZEL WASHINGTON LEE AND ROCKY POINTING AND WAVING A
- Embargoed:
- Keywords: Akinola Davies Akinola Davies Jr. Cannes Film Festival My Father's Shadow Nigerian film Cannes Sope Dirisu
- Location: CANNES, FRANCE / VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- City: CANNES, FRANCE / VARIOUS FILM LOCATIONS
- Country: France
- Topics: Arts/Culture/Entertainment,Europe,Film
- Reuters ID: LVA001529719052025RP1
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: With "My Father's Shadow," Nigeria's first film in the Cannes Film Festival's official selection, director Akinola Davies Jr. wanted to create something deeply personal, he told Reuters on Monday (May 19).
The film had to mean "something to me, to him (my brother), to my family, to our community, I guess to masculinity in general," said Davies about the film competing in the second-tier Un Certain Regard category that he wrote with his brother, Wale.
Davies' first feature takes place over one day in 1993, when two brothers' absent father, played by "Gangs of London" star Sope Dirisu, shows up unannounced and takes them to Lagos.
Their father is there to try to recoup some money owed from his employer as the country is on edge after the outcome of the first elections in a decade under military rule is annulled.
Newcomers and real-life brothers Godwin Egbo, 11 at the time of filming, and Chibuike Marvellous Egbo, then 8, play the young siblings in the semi-autobiographical film that has been picked up for distribution by streamer Mubi.
"Nigeria was going through a time where there was a lot of enthusiasm for this idea of a statesman who was going to lead us to potential," similar to the boys' relationship with their father, said Davies, who was raised between London and Lagos.
"Both things being so sort of strong and dominant, but equally super vulnerable and super fragile - I think the tension sort of played off each other really well," said Davies.
Dirisu, a British actor born to Nigerian parents, said that the film made him take a deeper look at what it means to be a father, as well as how Nigeria fits into his personal identity.
"There were a lot of things I had to interrogate for the role, but it was exciting," the actor said.
Davies' film is one of several strong contenders competing in Un Certain Regard this year, with actors Harrison Dickinson, Kristen Stewart and Scarlett Johansson also in the race with their directorial debuts.
The Guardian gave "My Father's Shadow" four out of five stars, calling it a "subtle and intelligent coming-of-age tale" while industry publication IndieWire gave the "beautifully remembered drama" the grade of B+.
Davies hopes the movie's inclusion at Cannes will pave the way for more African films at the festival.
"African stories are out there," he told Reuters, but they need to be able to get to festivals like Cannes to be seen.
When there's willingness from other areas of the world, and points of access, however, those films can come through, he said.
(Production: Christian Levaux, Hanna Rantala) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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