The President's Cake(HKAFF2025)

In the 1990s, when people struggle daily to survive under sanctions in Saddam Hussein's Iraq, nine-year-old Lamia is ”honoured" with an impossible task – providing a cake for her school's mandatory celebration of the dictator's birthday, in a world where even basic ingredients are precious commodities, or facing the consequences: prison or death. Alongside her spirited rooster Hindi and street-smart friend Saeed, Lamia navigates the marshes and Baghdad, encountering both cruelty and unexpected kindness. Through her unwavering determination, Hasan Hadi's Cannes Golden Camera winner shows an Iraq that has never been depicted before, dedicating itself to every kid who somehow finds love, friendship, and joy amid war and dictatorship.

Golden Camera and Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award, Cannes Film Festival
San Sebastian International Film Festival
Toronto International Film Festival