Iraq’s film industry has long been marked by silence — decades of sanctions, conflict, and censorship left the country’s creative voices struggling to break through. But filmmaker Hasan Hadi has ignited a remarkable spark with The President’s Cake, a haunting, unexpectedly humorous drama that has captured global attention and now stands as Iraq’s official submission to the 2026 Academy Awards.

Set in the marshlands of Chibayesh, the film follows nine-year-old Lamia as she searches for ingredients to bake a compulsory birthday cake for Saddam Hussein — a bizarre ritual enforced during the dictatorship, when food was scarce and flour itself was illegal. For Hadi, the story is both personal and political, drawn from memories of friends who faced punishment for failing this seemingly simple task.

“It’s the result of me as an adult questioning my childhood,” Hadi explains — and the film reflects that tension beautifully.

A Childhood Under Pressure

Hadi grew up during one of the darkest periods in Iraq’s modern history. International sanctions strangled the country’s economy. Families sold their belongings piece by piece to survive. Children grew up believing the world outside Iraq barely existed.

“We lived in a bubble. No news, no TV — nothing. It was like a prison,” Hadi recalls.

In The President’s Cake, this atmosphere of suffocation surfaces in small but powerful moments: empty shelves, desperate improvisation, and the eerie presence of fighter jets overhead — silent observers representing the watching world.

A Cinematic Breakthrough

When the film premiered at the Cannes Film Festival, it made history as the first Iraqi film ever included in the official programme. Its delicate blend of neorealism, black comedy, and childhood innocence earned it both the Audience Award at Directors’ Fortnight and the prestigious Camera d’Or for best debut feature.

For a country that produces only a handful of films per decade, the impact has been profound.

“This film is giving attention to Iraqi cinema in a way we haven’t seen before,” Hadi says. “But we need support. We need an industry, not just passion.”

Healing Through Storytelling

The emotional weight of the film rests in Hadi’s reflections on guilt, loss, and survival. He speaks openly about the childhood shame of hearing “we cannot afford that,” and the lasting wounds of a society shaped by dictatorship.

His friend — the real-life inspiration behind Lamia’s story — was expelled from school after failing to bake the cake and eventually forced into Saddam’s children’s army. He later died.

“What if it were me?” Hadi asks. It is this raw honesty that gives The President’s Cake its power.

The Road Ahead for Iraqi Cinema

Hadi now lives in Baghdad, determined to continue telling Iraqi stories — despite the pressure that follows unexpected international success.

“For the next film, the expectations scare me more,” he confesses. “But Iraq has so many stories left to tell.”

With The President’s Cake, he has opened a door — not just for himself, but for a new generation of Iraqi filmmakers hungry to reclaim their narratives.