My Father's Shadow, a deeply emotional and interesting Nigerian drama, is a movie set in 1993, and that was a year and period that holds bad memories in Nigeria politically. The movie is directed by Akinola Davies Jr. My Father's Shadow starts with Remi and Aki, two young brothers who get an opportunity to spend a day with a father who is always absent and off to work far from the village they stay in.
The father of this children, Folarin played by Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù. They journeyed with their father. It was a long and fun filled day for them, but what started a fun trip with Dad to Lagos, turned out to become an unforgettable journey. It wasn't just an ordinary day, but a day of loss, love, family and discovery for Aki and Remi.
At the center of this drama and story is Folarin, who played the role of a father whose work and activities made his relationship with family complicated. Folarin played by Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù gave a good performance in this movie. He portrayed a man who isn't just strict, but affectionate, a man who is mysterious and vulnerable too. Watching Folarin, it's easy to understand his circumstances, his disappointment and emotional wounds were what shaped him. He's a man with his own pain and struggles who try to be a good father to his sons and connect with them.
One of the greatest strengths of My Father's Shadow is how it tells about Nigeria's political crisis, the events and circumstances surrounding the June 12th presidential election in 1993. The tension of this election and outcome existed around a personal family story. To me, it created a sense that the family and country were just battling with uncertainties. The scenes where they show soldiers, people reading newspapers and arguing about the country and politics. The atmosphere of this movie passes an information that power was about to change hands in the country and things were about to change for Remi and Aki. The political settings and country challenges show the viewers what shaped the life of Folarin and influenced his decisions.
Watching this movie, I couldn't help but admire the performances of the young actors, Godwin Egbo and Chibuike Marvellous Egbo, for first time actors, their performances were really impressive, natural and great. The fact that there are real brothers, made their performance as brothers really natural and real to the viewers. Through their eyes, we saw how exciting and scared they felt while they journeyed for the first time with their father to Lagos. At the end of that journey, it was obvious that they realized that even adults don't have answers to all the questions about life too.
I wasn't born in the 90's, but watching this movie gave me a glimpse of what it was like to exist in a country full of uncertainties. I don't know how to describe the feeling, but it looked like nostalgic feelings you get even when you didn't exist in that time and era.It was a passage of time.
I also enjoyed the setting of this movie, to me Lagos wasn't just a mere setting in this movie, but a setting that capture what the city really feels like , the noise of the environment, the street life of Lagos, the energy and how the uncertainties were captured with unforgettable/ remarkable intimacy. Visually, the director did an amazing job, because every scene was beautiful, worth watching and captivating to me.
Also, this movie taught the importance of memories. We might not have spent months or years with the ones we love, but just a day, a single afternoon, a single journey and conversation can create more impact and memory than we expect. That single memory could be something we get to remember for the rest of our lives about a person.
My father's shadow isn't just a movie that portrays politics, it's not just a political drama. It's a movie that explored fatherhood, childhood, grief, absence and complicated ways family members love each other. To me, this movie was also reflective, the story line wasn't a fast one.
Ultimately, My Father’s Shadow is a very remarkable/ deeply emotional Nigerian movie that uses personal storytelling combined with an important chapter of the country’s history.
The movie is deeply emotional, without being unnecessarily dramatic, it's also political without losing its human heart, and nostalgic without becoming sentimental. I will rate it 80/100. My Father's Shadow is a very beautiful, thoughtful and unforgettable film, and one that stays with you.
Pictures From IMBD
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Vanilla 💗
Rating: 80/100