While people across 1990s Iraq struggle to survive, 9-year old Lamia has been selected to prepare a cake to celebrate the president’s birthday. In a landscape of fear and scarcity, where basic ingredients are nearly impossible to find, Lamia sets out on a determined journey throughout the big city in search of eggs, flour, and sugar. Accompanied by her grandmother, her loyal friend Saeed, and her pet rooster Hindi, she navigates vendors and police officers along the way. The President’s Cake, winner of the Camera D’Or and Audience Award at this year’s Cannes Film Festival, and Iraq’s official entry for Best International Film at the Academy Awards, embodies innocence, imagination, and inner strength.
