The President's Cake

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The President's Cake

PG-13

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1h 45m

Drama

History

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99%

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71 Reviews

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Fewer than 50 Ratings

While people across 1990's Iraq struggle to survive, 9-year old Lamia has been selected to prepare a cake to celebrate the President's birthday. In a landscape of fear and scarcity, where basic ingredients are nearly impossible to find, Lamia sets out on a determined journey throughout the big city in search of eggs, flour, and sugar. Accompanied by her grandmother, her loyal friend Saeed, and her pet rooster Hindi, she navigates vendors and police officers along the way.

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Critics Consensus

A tenderly crafted, often devastating portrait of childhood in rural Iraq, The President's Cake vividly brings to life its morally complex world through richly drawn characters and intimate storytelling.

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Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

6d

Shot entirely in the director’s home country with a largely amateur, untrained cast, the film blends a striking sense of street-level realism, political commentary and poetic nostalgia for the naive innocence of youth.

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Bill Goodykoontz

Arizona Republic

Feb 24

4.5/5

What’s most remarkable about the film are the performances.

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Wendy Ide

Observer (UK)

Feb 19

This is an impressive first feature from the writer-director Hasan Hadi, a sharply observed, bittersweet, child’s-eye odyssey that avoids cute-kid cliches.

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Robin Holabird

Robin Holabird

3d

The film shows a society whose residents hardly realize the outrageous nature of its demands—elements that would qualify as farcical except for the serious consequences of failure.

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Ruth Maramis

FlixChatter Film Blog

4d

4.5/5

A profoundly moving journey through the eyes of a 9-year-old Iraqi girl, and Nayyef is a revelation in the lead role. It’s really astounding what Hadi’s accomplished here with a limited budget and mostly unknown actors.

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Anne Brodie

What She Said

4d

4/4

It’s uncomfortable to watch a nine-year-old wander the city alone, to see her harassed by her teacher and struggle … don’t look away for a second. IA heartbreaker.

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Joanne S

5d

An intimate experience of Iraq under Saddam Husseins rule. Told from the perspective of two young schoolchildren, this film is heartwarming and heartbreaking.

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Matt

Feb 18

Outstanding film. The young girl was so talented I was shocked to hear it was her first film. It was both heartwarming and devastating. The rooster did a great job too.

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Runa R

11h

It’s a harrowing film because of the reality it portrays of a dictatorship, seen through the experiences of a child. Small details scattered throughout reveal how a megalomaniac man — like all dictators — knows how to exploit the weaknesses of the human mind, how to keep the masses in ignorance, blindly idolising those who oppress them. Human crowds can become a grotesque phenomenon of brutality and ignorance, and history has shown us time and again that there is always a man who knows how to manipulate this stupidity all too well.

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Lisa M

@Shorty63 1d

Very touching film that depicts the lives of children in 1990’s Iraq

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Jeannette E

1d

Beautiful. Authentic. The storyline keeps you engaged throughout the movie. It also gives the audience moments of pause and reflection.

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Georges C

2d

A masterpiece. A must see!

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Hasan Hadi

Director

Baneen Ahmad Nayyef

Lamia

Sajad Mohamad Qasem

Saeed

Waheed Thabet Khreibat

Bibi

Rahim AlHaj

Jasim

Hasan Hadi

Screenwriter

The President's Cake: Teaser Trailer

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Synopsis

While people across 1990's Iraq struggle to survive, 9-year old Lamia has been selected to prepare a cake to celebrate the President's birthday. In a landscape of fear and scarcity, where basic ingredients are nearly impossible to find, Lamia sets out on a determined journey throughout the big city in search of eggs, flour, and sugar. Accompanied by her grandmother, her loyal friend Saeed, and her pet rooster Hindi, she navigates vendors and police officers along the way.

Director: Hasan Hadi
Producer: Leah Chen Baker
Screenwriter: Hasan Hadi, Eric Roth
Distributor: Sony Pictures Classics
Production Co: TPC Film
Rating: PG-13 (Strong Language|Some Suggestive Material|Smoking)
Genre: Drama, History
Original Language: Arabic
Release Date (Theaters): Feb 6, 2026, Limited
Box Office (Gross USA): $39.3K
Runtime: 1h 45m
Aspect Ratio: Scope (2.35:1)