By My Father’s Shadow follows two young brothers who venture into Lagos with their somewhat estranged father, Fola, during the 1993 Nigerian election crisis. As they navigate the vibrant, sprawling streets of the city, the political and military upheaval forms a backdrop to a melancholic relationship drama, in which the boys come to see their father in a new light.
What begins as a short trip turns into a full day out in the city: their bus breaks down, Fola’s supervisor (who has been holding six months’ of his pay) disappears, and the family encounters old acquaintances who share stories of their father as a young bachelor.
This series of events is tracked through the boys’ gaze. While the adults around them murmur about fuel shortages, the military ominously rolls through the streets and crowds gather around television sets awaiting political news, the children remain largely unaware.
In trying to retrieve his unpaid wages, Fola (Sope Dirisu) finds himself looking after his two young sons, Akin and Remi (real-life siblings Godwin Chiemerie Egbo and Chibuike Marvellous Egbo). Fola’s staunch yet sensitive masculinity sets a strong example for his sons, and his performance the film’s centrepiece.
In a sequence reminiscent of Moonlight, he teaches his sons how to swim, and later, sitting on the beach, opens up to one of them about his past. It’s beautiful and sad, and it deepens a strained connection, giving a glimpse of what their relationship might have been.
