MY FATHER'S SHADOW © Lakin Ogunbanwo
My Father’s Shadow as seen by Akinola Davies Jr.
My Father’s Shadow is a family saga, directed by Akinola Davies Jr. based on the screenplay by his brother Wale Davies. Presented in a Certain Regard, this semi-autobiographical story follows a father and his two children in the Nigerian capital Lagos, shaken by tremendous political unrest in 1993.
What inspired you to begin work on this film?
Urgency. I was fortunate enough to make two shorts and realized that if I only ever got to make one feature film, I wanted it to be in service to my family, to our memories, as something that can be a cathartic time capsule for the past, present and future. To encapsulate and honor our imagination as not being outside of us but as part of our memory. I think my brother is a fantastic screenwriter and I wanted to work with him, bringing his ideas to life.
Please describe your working method and the atmosphere on set. Any anecdotes are welcome.
A place where my collaborators can experience trust and freedom of thought. I like to allow people to do what they are good at and encourage their ideas. Ultimately, the best idea wins but I think what we do is an absolute privilege – and I want everyone who participates at all levels to feel seen and enjoy every day on set. So I’m quite playful and mischievous – if there is joy in creating then there is joy in our combined performances.
Please share a few words about your actors.
My actors underwent a journey I hadn’t even anticipated having cast them for their roles. They became a family unit, on and off set, encouraging each other and learning. Ṣọpẹ́, the lead actor, was magnificent – I learned so much about the psyche of a character through him and his portrayal. His expertise was crucial to the development of our other two leads Godwin and Marvellous who were first-time actors.
What did you learn during the course of making this film?
That filmmaking is extremely hard logistically and emotionally and there is a lot of diplomacy that needs to take place to accommodate everyone’s needs. However, if there is good infrastructure put in place by your producers, it will allow everyone to bring their best to the project.
What made you want to become a director? What are your influences?
I did not want to become a director. I wanted to be involved in filmmaking originally as an editor. And not for any reason other than I thought it would be a generous place to start a family. At college, my best friend’s father was an editor and they lived a bohemian life. This was my influence – I wanted their family life for myself and I thought if I could do what his father did, I could have a similar existence.
Can you tell us about your next project?
My next project will be with my brother, we want to try and investigate the Niger Delta region – there is a lot of conflict and generational trauma inflicted on that region and I think it’s important to remind people of the sacrifices that have been made for the population, the biodiversity, and the area’s politics. It’s a massive topic but I hope we can tell a very simple story to talk about all of this.
