The President's Cake was filmed in Iraq and draws on the director’s own childhood memories of growing up under the Saddam Hussein regime in the 1990s.
Within the first five minutes, I was completely drawn in by the stunning cinematography. It immerses you so deeply in the world of the film that you feel as though you’re right there beside the characters.
During the period in which the story takes place, Iraq was under UN‑backed sanctions, leading to extreme poverty and widespread food insecurity. Saddam Hussein required Iraqis to celebrate his birthday, and schoolchildren were selected to bring various items for the festivities.
Nine‑year‑old Lamia (Baneen Ahmed Hayyef) is told by her teacher that it is a great honour to be chosen to bake a birthday cake for the class. But failure could mean punishment. Lamia prays not to be chosen—she knows her family cannot afford the ingredients. She lives with her elderly grandmother, who is dying from diabetes, and they are considered peasants by the community.
Her grandmother decides to take her father’s heirloom watch and travel with Lamia—and her beloved pet rooster, Hindi—to the city to buy the ingredients. Secretly, the trip is also meant to place Lamia with a young couple, as her grandmother can no longer care for her.
While her grandmother and the woman speak privately in the back room of a restaurant, Lamia overhears their conversation about her future. Terrified, she grabs Hindi and runs. She ends up at an amusement park, where she finds her classmate and friend Sajad Mohamad Qasem (Waheed Thabet Khreibat), who is in the city pickpocketing to support his family.
Together, they embark on a chaotic journey to sell the watch and scrape together enough money—through bargaining, hustling, and a bit of mischief—to buy the ingredients for the cake. Meanwhile, Lamia’s grandmother, Bibi, collapses and is taken to the hospital by the taxi driver who brought them to the city. Before she dies, she sends him to find Lamia and bring her back.
By the time he reaches Lamia, her grandmother has passed away. They return to their village, where Lamia’s classmate’s mother teaches her how to bake the cake. She ultimately receives her teacher’s approval, and the journey of making the cake becomes a life‑altering experience for her.
This is a beautiful yet deeply sad story—full of heart, resilience, and a clear-eyed look at the impossible choices families must make under extreme poverty.
Of note, there should be a nomination for the Rooster Hindi.
