Director: Hasan Hadi

Cast: Banin Ahmad Nayef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Rahim AlHaj, Muthanna Malaghi

The President's Cake is a 2025 Iraqi-American drama film directed by Hasan Hadi, set against the backdrop of 1990s Iraq during the Gulf War era, following a nine-year-old girl whose ordinary school assignment becomes a quietly desperate act of survival under one of history's most repressive regimes.

What is The President's Cake about?

It is the early 1990s in Iraq, and the weight of war and international sanctions presses down on ordinary families struggling to find enough food for the day. The government issues a decree: every school across the country must bake a birthday cake for the president. When her class draws lots, young Lamia—barely nine years old—is chosen to take on the assignment. With her family's pantry nearly empty and the clock ticking, Lamia must be resourceful, cunning, and quietly brave to track down the sugar, flour, and eggs that this compulsory tribute demands. The film tells her story through a child's eyes, making the absurdity of authoritarian spectacle feel both tender and quietly devastating.

Cast & crew

Director Hasan Hadi leads an ensemble of Iraqi performers bringing authenticity to this period story. Banin Ahmad Nayef plays Lamia, carrying the film's emotional weight with understated grace. The cast includes Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, acclaimed Kurdish-Iraqi oud musician Rahim AlHaj, Muthanna Malaghi, Ahmad Qasem Saywan, Thaer Salem, and Fatima Abouharoon.

Context & significance

For Persian-speaking viewers in the diaspora, The President's Cake resonates on a deeply familiar frequency. The Iran-Iraq War scarred a generation on both sides of the border, and the civilian experience of rationing, fear, and the forced performance of loyalty under Ba'athist rule echoes experiences many Iranian families know firsthand. This is a film about how ordinary people—especially children—navigate the impossible demands of a totalitarian state, a theme that crosses borders and languages. The film is presented in original Arabic audio without Persian dubbing or Persian subtitles, so viewers comfortable with Arabic dialogue or English subtitles will get the most from this intimate, quietly powerful story.

Where & how to watch

The President's Cake is available to stream on K-Time. It plays in original Arabic audio—no Persian dub or Persian subtitles are available for this title. Watch on your web browser, TV, or phone with no VPN required, no geo-blocking, and the option to cancel anytime.