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The President's Cake

Play trailer Poster for The President's Cake 2025 1h 42m Drama History Play Trailer Watchlist
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While people across 1990s Iraq struggle to survive the war and food shortages, Saddam Hussein requires each school in the country to prepare a cake to celebrate his birthday. Despite her efforts to avoid getting picked, 9-year-old Lamia is chosen among her classmates. The young girl must now use her wits and imagination to gather ingredients for the mandatory cake or face the consequences.

Critics Reviews

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Sheri Linden The Hollywood Reporter From the pastoral beauty of its opening sequence to the gut punch of its last, Hadi’s film is an exceptional screen debut, as perceptive as it is kinetic and, with one eye on the bombers overhead, brimming with life. May 16, 2025 Full Review Ritesh Mehta IndieWire A case of relatively modest filmmaking that becomes rich because archetype and characterization coordinate the story world. In some stretches, though, the filmmaking and the narrative urgency fall a bit flat. Rated: B May 16, 2025 Full Review Pete Hammond Deadline Hollywood Daily For a first film, this one is quite accomplished across the board but especially with the superb cinematography from Tudor Vladimir Panduru. May 16, 2025 Full Review Amber Wilkinson Screen International Hadi has an eye for detail, echoes and lyrical touches... He injects traditional elements with unpredictability that reminds us in the real world happy endings often come with a question mark. May 16, 2025 Full Review Read all reviews

Cast & Crew

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Hasan Hadi

Director

Baneen Ahmad Nayyef

Actor

Sajad Mohamad Qasem

Actor

Waheed Thabet Khreibat

Actor

Rahim AlHaj

Actor

Hasan Hadi

Screenwriter
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The President's Cake

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Movie Info

Synopsis While people across 1990s Iraq struggle to survive the war and food shortages, Saddam Hussein requires each school in the country to prepare a cake to celebrate his birthday. Despite her efforts to avoid getting picked, 9-year-old Lamia is chosen among her classmates. The young girl must now use her wits and imagination to gather ingredients for the mandatory cake or face the consequences.
Director
Hasan Hadi
Producer
Leah Chen Baker
Screenwriter
Hasan Hadi, Eric Roth
Production Co
TPC Film
Genre
Drama, History
Original Language
Arabic
Runtime
1h 42m