You are here:

The President's Cake

Name: The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Released: 2026
Duration: 106 min

Representation Score

6.6/10

Good

2026

PG-13

Director

Hasan Hadi

Runtime

106 minutes

Average Rating

No ratings yet

New Showbiz Analysis

The film centers a young Iraqi girl whose agency and resilience define the narrative. Her journey through scarcity and fear highlights both personal courage and systemic cruelty. An all-Iraqi cast grounds the story in cultural specificity, while the critique of dictatorship resonates through everyday hardship. Disability and gender roles appear but lack deeper exploration. The absence of LGBTQ+ representation and limited adult female authority temper its inclusivity. Still, its focused, culturally rooted perspective delivers a powerful portrait of life under oppression.

Watch this, not that →

Category Breakdown

Does The President's Cake have LGBTQ+ representation?

Minimal

No LGBTQ+ characters appear or are identified. The narrative concentrates on a child’s survival under dictatorship, leaving queer identities absent from its world.

How does The President's Cake portray gender?

Good

A nine-year-old girl anchors the story, navigating danger to gather ingredients. Her grandmother and a female teacher support her, though adult leadership roles remain limited.

How racially and ethnically diverse is The President's Cake?

Excellent

The cast is entirely Iraqi, mirroring the rural Mesopotamian setting. Characters of color carry all narrative weight, with no white characters present.

How does The President's Cake represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The film critiques authoritarianism, depicting state institutions as corrupt and indifferent. War and sanctions devastate families, framing the regime as the source of suffering.

Does The President's Cake include disability representation?

Fair

The grandmother’s diabetes drives urgency when she collapses from low blood sugar. Her condition shapes key moments but remains secondary to the broader survival plot.

Present on Screen

A child protagonist leads a tense, emotionally rich survival story.
Authentic Iraqi cast and setting bring cultural specificity to the forefront.
Strong critique of authoritarian power and its impact on ordinary families.

Limited or Absent

No LGBTQ+ characters or relationships are depicted.
Disability is present but not deeply explored beyond plot necessity.
Limited gender diversity in leadership roles outside the child protagonist.

Official Synopsis

While people across 1990’s 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.

How are these scores produced? →