My Father’s Shadow: Akinola Davies Jr. on Memory & Fatherhood

A conversation on memory, fatherhood, masculinity, and cultural preservation.

In this interview, Bisi Akins sits down with director Akinola Davies Jr. to explore the making of My Father’s Shadow, a semi autobiographical film set against the backdrop of Hope ’93 in Nigeria.

Together, they reflect on memory as storytelling, the quiet complexities of fatherhood, and the importance of preserving African culture through film and lived experience.

The film marks a landmark moment for Nigerian cinema as Akinola’s debut feature, the first Nigerian film selected for the Official Selection at the Cannes Film Festival, and a recipient of a Camera d’Or Special Mention.

At All Things Africa, we take pride in holding space for conversations like this. With care, with depth, and with time.

Watch, reflect, and share.

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