Akinola Davies Jr.’s “My Father’s Shadow” is a 2025 family drama that blurs the boundaries of joy and grief, politics and personal relationships, dreams and reality.
Set in Lagos, Nigeria, against the backdrop of the controversial 1993 presidential election, it is also a celebration of cultural experience.
Many of the dozens of Black viewers who attended an early-February showing at the Gene Siskel Film Center said the movie resonated with them because it reflected their lived experiences. From America to Nigeria to Cameroon, their backgrounds represented the diversity of the African diaspora. After the credits rolled, they remained in the theater to share those details, along with their thoughts about the plot, characters, dialogue and cinematography.