Nigerian filmmaker Akinola Davies’s debut feature, “My Father’s Shadow,” set during Nigeria’s 1993 coup, earned a special mention in the Camera d’Or at the 78th Cannes Film Festival, marking a historic first for Nigerian cinema

Nigerian cinema has achieved a significant milestone at the prestigious Cannes Film Festival, with filmmaker Akinola Davies’s debut feature, “My Father’s Shadow,” earning a special mention in the Camera d’Or category for best first film.

Also read: Nollywood triumph: ‘My Father’s Shadow’ debuts at Cannes

The recognition came as the 78th edition of the renowned festival concluded on Saturday on the French Riviera, culminating in the awarding of its top prize, the Palme d’Or.

“My Father’s Shadow” marks a historic moment as it is the first Nigerian film to be officially recognized at Cannes since the festival’s inception nearly 80 years ago.

Akinola Davies’s powerful first feature is set against the tumultuous backdrop of Nigeria’s 1993 coup, a pivotal and traumatic period in the nation’s recent history when the military annulled democratic elections and General Sani Abacha eventually seized power.

The film, which *The Guardian* lauded as “rich, heartfelt and rewarding,” follows a father and his two young sons on an odyssey through Lagos as the military “pulled the rug away from dreams of democracy.”

The film is about the boys being able to hold their father accountable… And because they get to see how to be accountable they can be accountable themselves.

Davies described this “lost chance” as a moment when “the rug was pulled away and everyone’s dreams of democracy were just taken away,” a period that continues to profoundly mark the country.

The semi-autobiographical narrative features “Gangs of London” actor Sope Dirisu. It depicts two small boys accompanying their father through Lagos as the coup unfolds, on a futile attempt to retrieve months of owed backpay.

The film delves into the father’s complex character, revealing his imperfections as the boys discover his infidelity.

Filmmaker Akinola Davies explained to AFP that “The film is about the boys being able to hold their father accountable… And because they get to see how to be accountable they can be accountable themselves.”