A sensitive exploration of fatherhood and legacy.
Two brothers take a trip from the village to Lagos with their absentee father on the day of turbulent political change. As delayed election results stir unease across the city, that tension seeps into the family dynamic threatening to ruin their day but also surfacing personal resentments.
Over the years, Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù has comfortably stretched his legs in a range of roles – from the brutal urban crime drama of Gangs of London to the elegance of Mr Malcolm’s List. In My Father’s Shadow, he trades both the swagger and polish for something far more elusive. His performance here is restrained, almost withdrawn — filled with faraway looks that prompt a concerned, “Daddy, are you okay?” from his sons. It’s in those silences, not speeches, that Dìrísù communicates a father’s ache — of absence, regret, and love that struggles to take form.
It’s the painfully familiar story of fathers who struggle to communicate with their children, and it consistently hits it mark.
Set against the political backdrop of Nigeria’s capital city, the film plays out like a vignette. A single, precarious day in Lagos that captures everything from daily fuel shortage struggles but insists on reminding us of the tactile beauty of the landscape too. There is a continuous frenetic energy to everything which is underlined by an oppressive military presence.
The real-life brothers Godwin Chiemerie Egbo and Chibuike Marvellous Egbo who play Dìrísù’s sons bring a natural warmth to their scenes. Their differing relationships with their father give the story its emotional pulse and pushes the story to be explored from differing points of view – one brother’s joy at their father’s return, and the others anger. The use of non-linear storytelling adds intrigue, but primarily the flash-forwards were unnecessary and pushed the story into an almost supernatural light. The film might have landed a stronger emotional blow had the ending not been so heavily hinted at.
There’s a constant thread of foreshadowing through recurring nosebleeds, the story of a dead brother and the repeated insistence on protecting those you love. While mostly heavy-handed, there is a line in the film that quietly encapsulates the film’s message. Something like: “We all have to make sacrifices — just make sure it’s the right one.”
My Father’s Shadow is a slice of Nigerian life that doesn’t outstay its welcome. At its best, the film captures the unknowable nature of fathers. It remedies the sadness by exploring how love can exist in absence, and how it casts a long shadow over who we become.
Watched during BFI London Film Festival 2025
Any thoughts on the film?