The President's Cake

"The President’s Cake is sweet, nerve-racking, and devastating"

— Robert Kojder, Flickering Myth

"There’s a terrific charm and sweetness in this debut from Iraqi film-maker Hasan Hadi."

— Peter Bradshaw, Guardian

"A lovely, sincerely touching work, and one of the most impressive debut features of modern times."

— Padaí Ó Maolchalann, In Review Online

"Filtering the tale through Lamia’s childlike whimsy allows the colourful, polished cinematography to sing."

— Marina Ashioti, Little White Lies

"THE PRESIDENT’S CAKE is a beautiful film --- a powerful reminder of the lasting effects of war, especially for children."

— Jeanne Kaplan, Kaplan vs. Kaplan

"Hasan Hadi, making his directorial debut, brings a deeply personal lens to the narrative. His vision is both poetic and brutally honest."

— Sara Clements, Next Best Picture

"A fascinating slice of life from rural Iraq, this warmly involving drama pulls us in with its vivid characters as they navigate a series of tricky situations."

— Rich Cline, Shadows on the Wall

"A beautiful and flawless film, with exquisite shots meticulously crafted to convey the information that provides context to the story and depth to the characters."

— Laura Pérez, Fotogramas

"No nine-year-old girl should have to experience what this courageous Iraqi girl does in THE PRESIDENT’S CAKE. At any rate, this is exactly what a dictatorship looks like."

— David Kaplan, Kaplan vs. Kaplan

"Layering melancholy charm into a powerful look at sociopolitical oppression and indoctrination, this coming-of-age drama is a quietly perceptive story of childhood innocence."

— Todd Jorgenson, Cinemalogue

"'The President’s Cake; highlights a promising independent voice in Middle Eastern cinema... The film is already making history, and is sure to continue to break records, moving forward."

— Grace Han, Asian Movie Pulse

"From the pastoral beauty of its opening sequence to the gut punch of its last, Hadi’s film is an exceptional screen debut, as perceptive as it is kinetic and, with one eye on the bombers overhead, brimming with life."

— Sheri Linden, The Hollywood Reporter

"Shot entirely in the director’s home country with a largely amateur, untrained cast, the film blends a striking sense of street-level realism, political commentary and poetic nostalgia for the naive innocence of youth."

— Barry Hertz, Globe and Mail

"The bonds of the children, Bibi, the postman, and a very few others in their circle endow 'The President’s Cake' with a grandly humanistic warmth that’s all the stronger for the mighty pressure under which it’s forged."

— Richard Brody, The New Yorker

"The President’s Cake is a fiercely powerful work of cinema. By framing the corruption and poverty of Hussein’s oppressive reign through the lens of a childhood adventure, Hadi creates something that is as whimsical as it is devastating."

— Andrew Murray, The Upcoming

"This detail-rich and tremendously moving moral fable uncovers harsh realities in Iraqi society without departing from the earnest perspective of its knee-high protagonist, and without diminishing the dignity or value of her hopes and dreams."

— Isaac Feldberg, RogerEbert.com

"While 'The President’s Cake' mostly plays like a genial fairy tale, with superbly balanced humor and drama, Hadi is still unsparing about the ills of patriarchal society. It is a compassionate and winsome debut, packed with an unassuming punch."

— Tomris Laffly, Variety

"The riveting drama The President's Cake takes an unforgettable journey through Baghdad in 1990. In a politically oppressed society, a 9-year-old girl is under deadline pressure to present a cake at her school to celebrate Saddam Hussein's birthday."

— Carla Hay, Culture Mix