The President's Cake: A Tale of Resilience

0:00A new film called The President's Cake takes us back to Iraq in 1990 during Saddam Hussein's rule. It's about a nine-year-old orphan girl named Lamia, who lives in the marshes with her grandmother and pet rooster. Despite deep poverty from sanctions, everyone must celebrate the leader's birthday, so Lamia gets picked to bake a cake for her school and scrambles, to find ingredients like flour and sugar. Director Hassan Hadi makes his feature debut here after short films, and he wrote and directed this one shot on location in Iraq, mostly with non-professional actors. The young lead playing Lamia delivers a fresh, real performance, matched by her grandmother and best friend roles, plus colorful locals they meet. Viewers get stunning visuals from marsh sunrises to city nights, with jets roaring overhead to show the tension. Romanian cinematographer Tudor Vladimir Panduru helps craft every shot, blending wide views and close-ups perfectly. The movie critiques, forced loyalty and cult politics, while celebrating tough kids in Iraqi spirit, stirring of anger, sadness, joy, and fear.

1:06Critics call it a quiet masterpiece, earning top marks. It opens in cinemas on April 2nd from Riyato Distribution, a heartfelt look at resilience that lingers long after. This has been Adelaide News today, powered by AI.