Mamlaket al-Qasab (2025)
Genre: Drama / History
Duration: 102 minuten
Alternative title: The President's Cake
Country:
Iraq / United States / Qatar
Directed by: Hasan Hadi
Stars: Baneen Ahmed Nayyef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem and Waheed Thabet Khreibat
IMDb score:
7,5 (4.732)
Releasedate: 26 December 2025
Mamlaket al-Qasab plot
Across Iraq, it’s the day that schools select students who will have the honor of bringing items to the mandatory local celebration of President Saddam Hussein’s birthday. Nine-year-old Lamia lives in the historic marshes with her feisty grandmother Bibi. For school, Bibi teaches Lamia clever tricks to avoid being chosen for the president’s cake. But when Musa, the authoritative teacher, calls Lamia’s name for the most challenging assignment—the birthday cake—she has no choice but to accept. Refusing could mean jail time or even death.
Reviews & comments
mrklm
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- 12557 messages
- 10566 votes
On April 28, 1990, Iraq is to celebrate President Saddam Hussein's 50th birthday. To mark the occasion, lots are held at every school to distribute specific tasks. Orphan Lamia [Baneed Ahmad Nayyeft] is given the “honor” of providing the cake from the title. That same day, Lidia's grandmother [Waheed Thabet Khreibat] abandons her, claiming she cannot handle the care. Lamia is therefore left to fend for herself, but receives help from classmate Saeed [Sajad Mohamad Qasam], who is tasked with providing the fruit. This ironic narrative depicts how a corrupt regime breeds corruption as the children learn to hustle to achieve their goals. It creates a striking picture of life in a dictatorship, thanks in part to excellent location work. Nayyef is a revelation, and the denouement is unforgettable.
Translated from Dutch · View original
El Loco
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- 1371 messages
- 2597 votes
Cool and entertaining movie that reminded me a lot of Iranian films like Where is My Friend's House? and The Children of Heaven, in which children play the main roles.
In this version of The President's Cake, too, we see a girl embarking on a quest in which she must gather various ingredients to make a cake in honor of Saddam Hussein's birthday. Not that the film is particularly outstanding, with the quest accompanied by its fair share of setbacks and encounters with various characters.
However, the film does manage to distinguish itself by telling the story from an Iraqi perspective. We see portraits and posters of Hussein hanging everywhere, and in the classroom, the children are required to salute Hussein. The air raid sirens, the jets constantly flying overhead, and the scarcity of food also add to the film's authenticity, and several scenes at the swamp where Lamia and her grandmother live are skillfully filmed.
All in all, a solid and entertaining film.
3*
Translated from Dutch · View original
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