Beautiful, interesting, incredible cinema.
THE PRESIDENT'S CAKE
Mamlaket Al-Qasab
Synopsis
While people struggle daily to survive under sanctions in Saddam’s Iraq, nine-year-old Lamia must use her wits to gather ingredients for the mandatory cake to celebrate President Saddam Hussein’s birthday or face the consequences—prison or death.
Synopsis
While people struggle daily to survive under sanctions in Saddam’s Iraq, nine-year-old Lamia must use her wits to gather ingredients for the mandatory cake to celebrate President Saddam Hussein’s birthday or face the consequences—prison or death.
Our take
A cake, a girl, and a rooster are the surprising ingredients of this enchanting modern fable, which journeys from reeded wetlands to war-torn cities. Winning a prize for best debut at Cannes, Hasan Hadi’s incisive political parable brings a child’s poignant innocence to bear on Iraq’s troubled past.