Review by Eric Hillis
Directed by: Akinola Davies Jr
Starring: Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Godwin Egbo, Chibuike Marvellous Egbo
Vittorio de Sica's Italian neo-realist classic Bicycle Thieves continues to prove an influence on new filmmakers. But where most simply lift the structure of De Sica's film, replacing the coveted bicycle with much-need money or some other material need, first time director Akinola Davies Jr. recognises the heart of that classic film, its father-son dynamic. As with Bicycle Thieves, My Father's Shadow sees a father and his two young sons traverse a troubled city in search of something he badly needs, in this case unpaid wages, but the setting gives Davies Jr.'s film a life of its own.
That setting is the Lagos of 1993. After a decade under military rule, a presidential election has been called. The nation is divided between those who believe the military brings stability and discipline, and those who feel the only way for Nigeria to move forward is to embrace democracy. Many expect the election to be rigged, but regardless of the outcome, violence is expected to break out upon the announcement of the results.
It's amid this volatility that young brothers Aki (Godwin Egbo) and Remi (Chibuike Marvelous Egbo) are scooped up by their long absent father Fola (Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù), who whisks them away from their rural home towards the capital. Fola is owed months of back pay from some ambiguous job, and he perhaps hopes that the presence of his boys by his side will hasten payment. He also seems desperate to prove to his boys that there is a reason for his absence from his life, that he is working hard to provide for them. Fola's constant nose bleeds suggest he may know his time is limited.
Fola is informed that the man responsible for his money won't be around until the night shift. He knows that trouble might break out later in the day, but he badly needs the money and so he decides to stick around, showing his sons the sights of a city about to erupt.
My Father's Shadow is largely presented from the POV of Fola's sons as they attempt to get to know this giant of a man who looms over them. Prying questions are initially dismissed as Fola either won't or can't give answers. Fola appears to be involved in the pro-democracy movement, and he withdraws from the gaze of the armed and uniformed men who roam the streets. He knows his children are too young to understand politics, so instead he tries to teach them more universal truths about what it means to be a man. This hectic film briefly settles down for a touching scene on a beach, where Fola is asked questions that break his heart because he knows he can't give any clear answers.
Davies Jr. does an impressive job of creating the sense of a teeming city on the edge of collapse, largely through clever editing that focusses on close-ups of the apprehensive faces of Lagos's residents while intercutting real life footage from the era. His technique is reminiscent of classic British TV productions like Threads and The Mad Death, which convinced audiences they were watching scenes of an apocalyptic nature through clever use of their budgets. Dìrísù's expressive face carries much of the weight of the narrative, just as his character is shouldering the weight of being an absent father.
Any worries that this might be a case of a first world filmmaker exploiting real life horrors for the sake of "poverty porn" are immediately dismissed in the film's opening, in which the young brothers play with miniature recreations of WWF wrestlers made from paper. The film isn't asking us to feel sorry for these boys who can't afford "real" toys, but rather to admire their ingenuity and imagination. Similarly, we're never asked to feel sympathy for Fola. As a proud man, it's the last thing he would want.
Holding a "written and directed by" credit until the end of a movie often feels like an egotistical act, but here it adds an extra layer of pathos. When we see that the film was written by Davies Jr. and his brother Wale Davies, we're immediately moved by the thought that these men are paying tribute to their own father who passed away when they were too young to truly get to know him. I'm sure he's proud of what they have created in his lingering shadow.
My Father's Shadow is in UK/ROI cinemas from February 6th.
