The President's Cake

The President's Cake

Director: Hasan Hadi
Country: Iraq, USA, Qatar

2025 | 103 min. | Arabic
Subtitles: German, English
FSK 6

Cast_ Baneen Ahmed Nayyef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Rahim Alhaj Screenplay_ Hasan Hadi Camera_ Tudor Vladimir Panduru Producer_ Leah Chen Baker Rights_ 24 Bilder

Little Lamia’s adventurous journey through a country facing an uncertain future – one of the biggest festival hits of the season!

Iraq in the 1990s. Nine-year-old Lamia draws the dreaded lot: she must bake the obligatory birthday cake for President Saddam Hussein. If she fails, the consequences will be severe. In a country plagued by shortages, however, ingredients like eggs, flour, and sugar are hard to come by. Determined to succeed, the clever girl sets off on an adventurous journey through the nearest big city, accompanied by her school friend Saeed and her rooster Hindi. Along the way, she encounters not only deprivation but also humor, friendship, and hope.

Filmed on the streets of Baghdad, the film has been a favorite at festivals worldwide since premiering at Cannes.

Director

Like the heroine of his story, director Hasan Hadi grew up in Iraq during the Second Gulf War. He later moved to New York to study film. Several American authors and producers subsequently supported the making of his first feature, ›The President’s Cake‹.

Screenings