A Quiet Story of Courage: The President’s Cake Comes to Canadian Screens

There are films that entertain and then there are films that stay with you long after the credits roll.

The President’s Cake (Mamlaket al-Qasab), opening February 27 at TIFF Lightbox in Toronto and in Montreal before expanding to Vancouver on March 13 and other cities this spring, is one of those rare, deeply human stories.

Cannes 2025 audiences embraced the film, awarding it both the Caméra d’Or and the Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award — a powerful debut for writer-director Hasan Hadi.

Set against the stark reality of 1990s Iraq under sanctions, the story follows nine-year-old Lamia, tasked with baking a birthday cake for a ruler she barely understands — a simple assignment that unfolds into a journey through poverty, resilience, and childhood innocence.

Shot in real locations across Iraq with mostly non-professional actors, the film carries a raw authenticity that feels intimate rather than staged. Told in Arabic with English subtitles, The President’s Cake blends political history with tender storytelling, reminding audiences how small acts of survival can become quiet acts of defiance.