It’s 1990, Iraq. Despite all the struggles facing violent conflict and trade sanctions, Suddam Hussein still requires all citizens to celebrate his birthday. Thus, one girl, Lamia (Baneen Ahmed Nayyef), finds herself with the Herculean task of finding the ingredients to make a cake in an economy where bare necessities are a luxury. With only her grandmother, Bibi (Waheeda Thabet Khreiba) to help her, they head to the city in search of the ingredients. Yet their journey ends up being a heartbreaking meditation on a country whose soul has been corrupted and where even the optimism of a child struggles against the forces of darkness.
The film immediately reveals its tonal and creative style. It features long takes when they do not seem key but subtly elevate and immerse us in the story. With simple and precise framing that puts us right in Lamia’s shoes, the camera often stays in wide angles, allowing us to take in the events of the city happening behind her. Sometimes, the camera almost seems to abandon her, making us worry for her as we see her encounter some dangerous situations. We cannot tell if she is aware of the dangers or threats to her, making us even more on edge in multiple scenes.
The film has an amazing child performance from Baneen Ahmed Nayyef, who plays this character with command and realistic mannerisms. The way she acts perfectly makes sense in this story, almost making you forget that she is an actor with little-to-no experience and has only experienced the world for several years. Same goes for the boy who plays Lamia’s friend, Saeed (Sajad Mohamad Qasem). He brings an energy and determination that makes the pair so endearing. The film is carried by their characters and the unique choices that they make as they try to get the cake’s ingredients and reveals so much about the broken parts of Iraq in this time period. The last shot is so effective. It is a beautiful movie you should absolutely watch.
The President’s Cake is playing at TIFF ’25. For more information, click here.
