TFF: The President's Cake (MA 15+)

A rare film from Iraq, this Cannes prize winner is a charming and touching debut about a young girl’s daring quest to bake a cake in the time of Saddam Hussein.

It’s 1990 in Iraq, and under the iron fist of Saddam Hussein extreme poverty is on the rise. Despite the circumstances, it’s still mandatory that all Iraqis celebrate the president’s birthday. An unlucky classroom draw finds nine-year-old Lamia given the unenviable task of baking the birthday cake for her class. Accompanied by grandmother, Lamia departs her home in the marshes for the big city, to procure the ingredients for the dreaded cake. Beautifully shot and acted, and with a keen sense of time and place, this film makes for an exhilarating adventure.

Cast: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem

Director: Hasan Hadi

"An exceptional debut, as perceptive as it is kinetic and, with one eye on the bombers overhead, brimming with life... a tragicomic gem" HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

"A confident and humanistic debut that is a kindred spirit of Iranian children's movies such as The White Balloon and the youth-focused work of Hirokazu Kore-eda" SCREEN DAILYT

"A poignant realist fable... Hasan Hadi wisely prioritizes character and story, letting the brutal dictatorship speak louder as backdrop" INDIEWIRE

"A true gem and a real discovery from Hasan Hadi. With the right distributor, it could turn out to be Iraq's first nominee for an Oscar. Yes, it is that good... Don't miss this one" DEADLINE