A Black man walks hand-in-hand with two young Black boys along a red dirt road in what appears to be a rural African setting. The composition is striking, with the man positioned centrally and slightly elevated in the frame, wearing a purple striped shirt, while the boys flank him on either side - one in an orange striped shirt and the other in a pink shirt with a backpack. The landscape around them features vegetation including banana plants and other greenery, with an overcast sky above. The dirt road stretches ahead of them, creating a sense of journey or purposeful movement forward.

My Father's Shadow

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About My Father's Shadow

Akinola Davies Jr.’s extraordinary debut feature is both intimate and epic. It’s a deeply personal family story set against the turbulence of 1993 Lagos during a pivotal national election promising a shift from military rule to democracy in Nigeria. When young brothers Remi and Akin unexpectedly accompany their oft-absent father to the city to collect his long-overdue salary, what unfolds is a rich journey through memory, masculinity, and a country on the cusp of fragile transformation.

Drawn loosely from Davies’ own experiences and co-written with his brother Wale, My Father’s Shadow is anything but conventional. The film begins in rural quiet and gradually delves into urban disarray, as the boys try to make sense of their father, the city, and the shifting codes of a world they’ve barely known.
 

Booking info

To book Accessible tickets and free Companion tickets, please visit our Accessible Bookings page. Companion tickets will initially show a standard ticket price, but once your account is set-up and you are logged in, this will be reduced to £0 at checkout.

Duration includes trailers, adverts and any Q&A/panel. For events such as NT Live, Colour Box and Reel & Meal there will be minimal advertising. We do not admit latecomers after the main feature has started and we have a limited food & drink policy.

MAC’s cinema programme has been generously supported by BFI Film Audience Network and Film Hub Midlands.

Dates and times

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