Iraqi writer/director Hasan Hadi finds a most unusual way into the story of Saddam Hussein, who served as president of his country until the U.S. invasion in 2003 overthrew his reign, which was marked by terror and tyranny.
In Hadi’s film “The President’s Cake,” the story is told via a nine-year-old girl, Lamia (Banin Ahmad Nayef), who is forced, as part of a ritualistic school celebration of their Iraqi president, to prepare him a cake. “The President’s Cake” premieres in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight this Friday, May 16, and is looking for distributors around the world. IndieWire shares a clip below.
Here’s the official 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.”
The film counts among its executive producers “Forrest Gump” and “Killers of the Flower Moon” writer Eric Roth, as well as “The Diary of a Teenage Girl” and “Nightbitch” director Marielle Heller. IndieWire has heard from them both about their thoughts on the film.
“I thought it was flawless! More than I could have imagined it would be. Quiet and true. It reminded me of the great Indian filmmaker Satyajit Ray’s films. It is truly something wonderful,” Eric Roth said in a statement shared with IndieWire. Heller added, “It’s a masterpiece.”
Hadi arrives on the filmmaking scene as a 2022 Sundance Lab Fellow and recipient of many other grants; he grew up in southern Iraq, during wartime, and over the years worked in journalism, production, and as an adjunct professor at NYU’s Graduate Film Program. “The President’s Cake” is his feature debut.
“This is the first Iraqi film to tackle this historical period. It was crucial to make the 1990s look authentic and realistic, so we shot in real historical locations,” Hadi said in a press statement. The story also comes from his own experiences growing up in Iraq.
“The story comes from my childhood memories growing up in Iraq during Saddam’s time,” he said. “Every year, our teacher would walk in with a bowl and ask us to throw our names into it. He would then draw the name of the student responsible for baking the president’s birthday cake and providing other items—fruits, decorations, cleaning supplies, and flowers. One year, I was picked to be the flower boy. I still have the photo of me holding the flowers somewhere in my library, and I remember my family’s relief because all I had to bring was flowers. Of course, at the time, sanctions had made corruption so widespread that you could escape the draw if you offered the teacher a service — fixing his bike, giving him a haircut. Then you’d survive. But if you couldn’t, your chances were slim.”
He added, “Although the subject matter is very tempting and invites turning this film into a political piece, that’s not what I do or am even interested in doing. I’m interested in genuine human emotions, struggles, connections, and stories. In this film, I tried to avoid anything overtly political and was very much interested in showing authentic characters and a period of Iraq that has never been depicted before.”
Watch a clip from the Cannes premiere below.
“The President’s Cake” premieres Friday, May 16 in Cannes Directors’ Fortnight. UTA and WME are handling North American sales. Films Boutique handles international sales.
