WEDNESDAY 15 July
THE PRESIDENT’S CAKE
Directed by: Hasan Hadi
2025 | M | 1 hour 45 mins | Iraq | Arabic
Doors open at 6:30pm.
Screening starts at 7pm sharp.
Set in Iraq during the 1990s under the rule of Saddam Hussein, The President’s Cake is a powerful and deeply human drama about childhood, survival, and the quiet acts of courage that can exist even in the most difficult circumstances.
Nine-year-old Lamia lives with her spirited grandmother Bibi and her beloved cockerel Hindi in the historic Mesopotamian Marshes of southern Iraq. Life is already challenging, with poverty, shortages, and the effects of international sanctions shaping everyday existence. But when her school holds its annual “draw day” — selecting students to provide items for the mandatory celebration of President Saddam Hussein’s birthday — Lamia’s world is turned upside down.
Despite Bibi’s attempts to teach her clever ways to avoid being chosen, Lamia is selected for the most demanding task of all: baking the President’s birthday cake. Refusal is not an option, with serious consequences threatened. Armed only with a list of scarce ingredients, Lamia and Bibi must find a way to complete the impossible task.
What begins as a simple mission to find flour, eggs, sugar and baking powder becomes an emotional journey through a country living under fear and uncertainty. Along the way, Lamia is separated from Bibi and must rely on her own courage, the help of her friend Saeed, and the unexpected kindness of strangers as she tries to finish the cake.
Directed and written by Hasan Hadi, The President’s Cake is a beautifully observed story that explores the impact of political oppression through the eyes of a child. Rather than focusing on the larger events of history, the film brings us into the small, personal moments of ordinary people trying to survive — a grandmother’s love, a child’s determination, and friendships formed in the middle of hardship.
The film stars Baneen Ahmad Nayyef as Lamia, alongside Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheed Thabet Khreibat and Rahim AlHaj.
The President’s Cake premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in the Directors’ Fortnight section, where it received the Audience Award and the prestigious Caméra d’Or. It was also selected as Iraq’s entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.
A moving and unforgettable coming-of-age story, The President’s Cake is a reminder that even in the shadow of history’s darkest moments, compassion, resilience and hope can still be found.
Producer: Leah Chen Baker
Cinematography: Tudor Vladimir Panduru
Writer: Hasan Hadi
Cast: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Rahim AlHaj