Director: Akinola Davies Jr.
Cast: Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù, Chibuike Marvellous Egbo, Godwin Egbo, Akereli David, Owa Orire Jeremiah
My Father's Shadow is a 2025 Nigerian-British drama film directed by Akinola Davies Jr., following two young brothers who spend a charged day moving through Lagos alongside the father they barely know, while the city outside fractures under the weight of the 1993 election crisis.
What is My Fathers Shadow about?
On a sweltering day in Lagos, two brothers — one old enough to sense the danger around them, the other still too young to fully grasp it — are thrust into the orbit of their largely absent father. As the three of them move through the city together, a routine outing becomes something far more unsettling. The streets pulse with tension as Nigeria's contested election boils over into unrest, and the father's quiet, everyday battles become visible in a way the boys have never witnessed before. The film traces one long, dense day in which family estrangement, political upheaval, and a city's raw energy press in from every direction.
Cast & crew
The film is directed by Akinola Davies Jr., a British-Nigerian filmmaker recognized for his visually precise and emotionally grounded storytelling. Lead actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù plays the father, supported by Chibuike Marvellous Egbo and Godwin Egbo as the two brothers. The ensemble cast also includes Akereli David, Owa Orire Jeremiah, Efon Wini, Olarotimi Fakunle, and Greg 'Teddybear' Ojeufa in supporting roles throughout the film.
Context & significance
For Persian-speaking diaspora viewers, My Father's Shadow offers a window into a story that resonates across cultural borders: the fractured relationship between a father and his children, the disorientation of growing up in a city that is itself in crisis, and the way political upheaval reaches into the most personal corners of family life. The 1993 Nigerian election — annulled by the military, sparking widespread civil unrest — provides a backdrop that will feel recognizable to Iranian viewers who have themselves lived through or inherited memories of political turbulence. This is a film for anyone who has carried a complicated feeling about a parent, or about a home country's past. It is available on K-Time with a Persian dub and Persian subtitles.
Where & how to watch
My Father's Shadow is available on K-Time with a full Persian dub as well as Persian subtitles, so you can choose how you watch. Stream it on the web, on your TV, or on your phone — no VPN needed, no geo-blocking, no extra download required. Cancel anytime.