The screening on 13 February at 18:00 will be introduced by Iraqi journalist Arwa Haider.

Lamia, a young girl from Iraq’s Mesopotamian Marshes, is chosen to bake a cake celebrating Saddam Hussein’s birthday, which she must do or face the consequences. A moving portrait of love, friendship and the resilience of a people caught between authoritarian rule and injudicious US imperialism.  

The Garden Cinema View:

Hasan Hadi’s debut takes the form of a grand quest (for flour, eggs, and sugar) in a surreal alternative world (1990s Iraq). This picaresque and episodic journey, experienced predominantly at a child’s-eye-view, is almost akin to live-action Disney Or rather, some kind of vision of what live-action Disney should be.

The surprising scale of the film is immediately apparent through the striking and handsome cinematography, capturing the seemingly ancient rhythms of a small riverbank community. Then, later, the chaos of the city is evoked through vast crowds and myriad locations. Despite the old adage, Hadi teases out excellent performances from children and animals alike, with Banin Ahmad Nayef particularly impressive in the lead role. At times delightful, and others sombre, The President’s Cake makes for a moving, yet disturbing, trip through life under a cult-of-personality.

Cast:
Banin Ahmad Nayef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Rahim AlHaj