Hasan Hadi’s tragicomic The President’s Cake follows young Lamia, who’s selected to provide the cake for her class’s mandated celebration of Saddam Hussein’s birthday, something she and her ailing grandmother can ill afford. The film details the relentless hardships brought about by poverty, international sanctions, and tyrannical leadership, as the pair’s wide-eyed determination and inventiveness is met only with disdain and contempt by their peers and neighbours. Shot in a neorealist vein reminiscent of the early works of Abbas Kiarostami, The President’s Cake offers devastating cinematic proof of Bertolt Brecht’s famous dictum: “Grub first, then ethics.”
105 minutes
PG-13
Content Warning: Mature Themes
Arabic
Tickets: $20 Admission (+applicable taxes & fees)
