An Iraqi film that sheds light on the harsh realities of childhood under Saddam Hussein’s regime has been shortlisted for the Oscars. ‘The President’s Cake’, directed by Hasan Hadi, follows a nine-year-old girl forced to bake a birthday cake for the dictator during the crippling sanctions of the 1990s.
Hadi, now 37, drew on his own experiences of growing up in a climate of fear. He recalled how he smuggled banned foreign films on VHS tapes as a child, knowing that possession of political material could lead to execution, even for a minor. ‘We’re talking about a period when childhood lost its innocence,’ he said.
The film depicts the pervasive personality cult surrounding Saddam, with his portrait hanging everywhere. Lamia, the protagonist, embarks on a journey with her grandmother to gather ingredients for the cake, bartering precious possessions amid food shortages. The film captures both the warmth of family bonds and the brutality of the regime.
Hadi said the sanctions were more devastating than bombs: ‘The damage is not visible, but it’s deeper.’ He recalled a cousin who went deaf due to lack of antibiotics. ‘The President’s Cake’ is the first Iraqi film to make the Oscars shortlist for best international feature, though it did not reach the final five.
