Akinola Davies Jr.’s award-winning debut feature, My Father’s Shadow, is now streaming on Netflix Africa.
The film officially debuted on Netflix on September 21, following its international festival run and theatrical release. It is available to audiences in Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya and South Africa.
Set in Lagos during the June 12, 1993 election crisis, My Father’s Shadow follows two young brothers, Remi and Akin, who spend a day with their estranged father, Folarin, as political unrest begins to close in around them.
The semi-autobiographical drama explores family, memory, grief and political uncertainty through the children’s experience of Lagos. The film stars British-Nigerian actor Ṣọpẹ́ Dìrísù alongside Godwin Chiemerie Egbo and Chibuike Marvellous Egbo.
Before arriving on Netflix, the film had already built an international profile. It became the first Nigerian film selected for the Cannes Film Festival’s Official Selection, where it screened in Un Certain Regard in 2025 and received a Caméra d’Or Special Distinction.
Davies and his brother Wale Davies, who co-wrote the screenplay, also received the 2026 BAFTA for Outstanding Debut by a British Writer, Director or Producer. The film went on to receive several honours at the 2026 Africa Magic Viewers’ Choice Awards, including Best Overall Movie, Best Director and Best Writing.
Now, after its cinema run, My Father’s Shadow is reaching a much wider African audience through Netflix, bringing its story of family and one of Nigeria’s defining political moments into homes across the continent.
