Iraq Submits "The President's Cake" for Oscars Race

Iraq has selected Hasan Hadi's debut feature, “The President's Cake,” as its candidate in the contest for the best international feature film Oscar at the 98th Academy Awards.

A multiple award winner at Cannes, "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.

In 1990s Iraq, young Lamia (Baneen Ahmed Nayyef) lives with her ailing grandmother, Bibi (Waheeda Thabet Khreiba), eking out an existence in a remote village where the best means of travel is by meshouf, a kind of canoe. Disaster strikes when Lamia is “honoured” with bringing the cake for her school class’s mandatory celebration of Saddam Hussein’s birthday. In other circumstances, this might be an innocuous responsibility, but Bibi and Lamia can’t afford the ingredients — and the last family that didn’t comply was dragged through the streets.

Bibi and Lamia (plus Hindi, her pet rooster) head to the city to purchase the ingredients for the cake, or so Lamia thinks. But when Bibi surprises her with a life-changing plan, Lamia flees, determined to continue her quest, and enlists Saaed (Sajad Mohamad Qasem) to help. 

The Iraqi National Committee for Cinema said in a statement that the selection reflects the quality of the work, the distinction of its cinematic vision, and its ability to represent the Iraqi cinematic scene in international forums, reflecting Iraq's cultural and artistic image and confirming its presence on the global stage.

The Oscar international feature shortlist will be announced on December 16 and the final five nominees will be announced on January 22.