Iraq has never had a movie nominated for best international feature at the Academy Awards but earlier this year, they got as close as they’ve ever been.  Of the 86 titles officially submitted, The President’s Cake made it through to the 15-film shortlist.  It missed out on a final nod (the field was very competitive) but it has still been highly praised.  It won the Caméra d'Or at last year’s Cannes Film Festival – the prize bestowed on the best movie from a first-time feature filmmaker.

In crafting the material, writer-director Hasan Hadi was inspired by his own childhood growing up in Southern Iraq.  Set in the early 1990s, we see the Gulf War underway with fighter jets flying above and economic hardships taking their toll down below.  It’s a reminder that while financial sanctions are a tool used during battle, the effects are hardest felt by ordinary citizens.  Iraqi President Saddam Hussein didn’t have any trouble putting food on the table.  It was his people who were suffering from food shortages and rampant inflation.

The film’s central character is Lamia (Nayyef), a 9-year-old girl who lives with her aging grandmother (Khreibat) and a pet rooster.  It was a tradition in Iraq that on the date of Saddam Hussein’s birthday, the people celebrated the occasion by eating cake.  Lamia’s name is drawn from a hat at school, and her strict teacher demands she bake a cake for her classmates.  With just two days’ notice, she must travel to the city and acquire the key ingredients – flour, eggs, and sugar.  It’s a near impossible task given Lamia and her grandmother have no money, and the people they encounter along the way have zero interest in helping.

The President’s Cake is a simple, wonderfully told drama that captures the harshness of life under Saddam Hussein’s terrifying reign, while also providing a sense of hope as we follow the likeable Lamia on her coming-of-age journey.  Her naivety is repeatedly taken advantage of… but she is determined to obtain the cake’s ingredients and avoid retribution at school.

There are no acting colleges in Iraq and so Hadi relied on a wholly non-professional cast in bringing the story to life.  Youngster Baneen Ahmad Nayyef is outstanding in the leading role and captures the right mix of innocence and bravery.  It’s a remarkable performance given she has never acted before.  Waheed Thabet Khreibat also stands out as the grandmother.  She’s a big-hearted, selfless person for whom every act puts Lamia’s welfare ahead of her own.

Bolstered by its credible production values, The President’s Cake is important cinema.