SA329 & 140/4 (47 ov)
AUS429
BAN272
WI134/4 (48 ov)
NZ
IND
NAM
IRE
Abha
Al Ittihad
NorthEast
Bengaluru
Al Diriyah
Neom SC
Le Havre AC
PSG
Nice
Rennes
Al Shabab
Al Ahli
FIO2
ATA2
NSR5
KHO3
RIY0
QAD6
FRO5
LEC1
SBP172 & 165/7 (59.4 ov, target 237)
MITS112 & 296
SOA154
WA406/5d & 79/6 (29 ov)
UAE
NED
PAK
SL
BH-W
SS-W
AS-W
MS-W
PS-W
MR-W
MIS
TOK
AFG221/7
ZIM202/5 (20 ov, target 222)
ENG386/5
OMA196
HH-W174/8 (20 ov, target 193)
ST-W140/4 (17/20 ov, target 139)
MOW185/3
VAG90/9 (20 ov, target 186)
TOR2
UDO1
AEP1
ATH6
XER1
CAD3
WIU2
SIUE0
UND0
SDST1
PRST0
IDHO2
SCR2
ALM2
Elversberg
Mainz
Villarreal
Espanyol
KHA4
HAZ2
Genoa2
Juventus0
A nine-year-old girl. A dictator’s birthday. An impossible search for eggs, flour, and sugar in a city gripped by sanctions. “The President’s Cake,” the Iraqi drama that made history at Cannes, is finally landing on Netflix — and it’s one of the most quietly devastating films of the year.
What the Film Is About
Written and directed by Hasan Hadi in his feature debut, “The President’s Cake” is set in Iraq in the early 1990s during the Gulf War, as extreme poverty and UN sanctions collide with mandatory nationwide celebrations for Saddam Hussein’s birthday. Nine-year-old Lamia is selected in a school lottery to bake a ceremonial birthday cake for the regime — or face serious consequences. With her grandmother Bibi and best friend Saeed by her side, Lamia scours a resource-starved city for basic ingredients, turning a simple assignment into a tense, emotional journey through fear and survival.
The film is anchored by a striking central performance from young actress Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, alongside Sajad Mohamad Qasem, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, and Rahim AlHaj.
The President’s Cake: Overview
| Detail | Info |
|---|---|
| Title | The President’s Cake |
| Director | Hasan Hadi (feature debut) |
| Setting | Iraq, early 1990s |
| Netflix US release | September 3, 2026 |
| Distributor | Sony Pictures Classics |
| Cannes 2025 wins | Caméra d’Or, Directors’ Fortnight Audience Award |
| Awards recognition | Iraq’s official Oscar submission, made the shortlist |
| Streaming window | 18 months on Netflix (US only) |
The film joins a wave of acclaimed festival titles making their way to streaming, arriving alongside other September SVOD premieres. Its awards-season profile places it within the broader legacy of the Cannes Film Festival, whose history and prizes are detailed on Wikipedia.
For more Netflix release dates and international cinema coverage, TechnoSports tracks what’s new in streaming and film as it’s announced.
