Akinola Davies Jr. - A Profile By Susannah Oluwaseun
What would life look like if you lived in a house built on stilts above water and used a canoe to leave your home? For the tens of thousands inhabitants of Makoko in Lagos, also known as “The Venice of Lagos”, this is ordinary life. Directed by Akinola Davies Jr., Kokoroko’s music video for their song Rapt is a mesmerising depiction of the ordinary life in Makoko, with a pinch of the supernatural.
Davies, primarily a filmmaker, was raised between London and Nigeria. Born to parents in the music industry, Davies was exposed to the likes of Stevie Wonder and Fela Kuti from a young age. Davies’ rich background extends to fashion, class and culture. It is unsurprising that Davies has pursued various musical endeavours and that music permeates his films. His documentary, One Day Go Be One Day, is a powerful remembrance of Fela Kuti’s life narrated by Fela’s family and close friends. Davies’s short film, Zazzou, does not require any dialogue, but contains strong visuals enhanced by sound.
Lizard, a Sundance Grand Jury winning and BAFTA-nominated short film, feels very familiar for those from a Christian Nigerian household. Davies puts the ordinary on centre stage by exploring a Nigerian church through the eyes of a curious eight-year old girl. Davies’s latest feat is his film My Father’s Shadow, which, like Lizard, was co-written by Davies and his brother Wale. The semi-autobiographical film, set in 1993, explores the relationship between a somewhat absent father and his two sons as they travel to Lagos. Taking place over the course of a day, Davies once again uses everyday lives to present a compelling and warming story. The film received a special mention during the Cannes Film Festival and is the first Nigerian film to be part of the official selection.
Untitled, one of my favourite works from Davies, is a short film about his family background that transfixed me and felt deeply relatable. The ability to tell ordinary stories in such a gripping manner, while infusing this with a strong cultural narrative, is what sets Davies apart – this article barely scratches the surface of Davies’s work. To understand my fascination with Davies one must experience it for themselves. Those who are tempted can attend Davies’s screening of rituals: union black, an exploration of Black British Experiences, at Somerset House on 14 July.
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