The President's Cake

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The President's Cake

PG-13

Feb 2026

1h 45m

Drama

History

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Tomatometer

Popcornmeter

99%

Tomatometer

79 Reviews

94%

Popcornmeter

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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Sandra Hall

The Age (Australia)

Apr 2

4/5

It’s certainly not a tragedy yet Hadi is too much of a realist to deliver a happy ending and he finishes on a note of sadness. But you’re still left with great faith in Lamia and Saeed’s ability to make their way in the world, no matter what lies ahead.

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Maxwell Rabb

Chicago Reader

Mar 9

The President’s Cake is carried by the remarkable performances of its predominantly amateur cast, especially its child actors.

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Barry Hertz

Globe and Mail

Feb 26

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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John McDonald

johnmcdonald.net.au

Apr 9

The political atmosphere is oppressive, but as we view the world through the eyes of a nine-year-old we never feel as if we are watching a film with an overt political message.

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Simon Foster

Screen-Space (Substack)

Apr 9

4.5/5

Hadi’s narrative makes for a sad, soaring adventure; a film about journeys, both physical and emotional, towards ends that tear at the strength and sweetness in a little girl’s heart.

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Jim Schembri

jimschembri.com

Apr 2

4/5

Given the grim nature of Lamia’s thorny traverse through a hostile terrain, Hadi nonetheless weaves in ironic moments of visual beauty and long takes. He clearly loves shooting widescreen and certainly knows how to deliver a truly memorable finale.

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Emma

Mar 5

Could have been an hour long. The good thing it shows how terrible lives are under these dictators.

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Joanne S

Feb 27

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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Lorinz T

@RT76916616 10h

I’m literally speechless. This movie is so beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time. I cried my eyes out, but it’s honestly one of the best things I’ve watched in a long time. Don't miss it.

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Owen A.

@sourdoughen 5d

A beautiful story of unimaginable hardship told through the eyes of children and the lens of an artist. The irony of baking a cake “for” the president is a powerful kind of microcosm of authoritarian rule—demanding devotion and sacrifice from those who have the least, for the benefit of someone who has the most. When we see the President’s real cake that soars above him, we feel this in our gut. The entire film has the backdrop of war, the visceral sounds and feelings of jets ripping through the air juxtaposed with canoes trudging through marshy canals; in the end, a childish game bears out what is sometimes needed to survive impossible and unjust situations: distraction or willfully turning a blind eye to your reality. Children are the best teachers in this particular game of life.

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Andrew H H

@RT20067623 6d

The first-time child acting is astonishing. And the Ken Loach style cinematography suits the subject

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Hasan Hadi

Director

Baneen Ahmad Nayyef

Lamia

Sajad Mohamad Qasem

Saeed

Waheed Thabet Khreibat

Bibi

Rahim AlHaj

Jasim

Muthanna Malaghi

Muthanna

The President's Cake: Extended Preview

5:34

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The President's Cake: Teaser Trailer

1:07

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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
Release Date (Streaming): Apr 7, 2026
Box Office (Gross USA): $214.0K
Runtime: 1h 45m
Aspect Ratio: Digital 2.39:1

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