"There's a terrific charm and sweetness in this debut from Iraqi film-maker Hasan Hadi, a Bake Off-style adventure about a little girl in early-90s Iraq required by her school to make a birthday cake in Saddam Hussein's honour, despite sanctions and the consequent shortage of every single cake-making ingredient. Hadi is a former Sundance Lab fellow and his film lists Hollywood heavy-hitters Chris Columbus and Eric Roth among its executive producers"
"In addition, her pal Saeed (Sajad Mohama Qasem) who has a crush on Lamia has to supply the fruit for this party, on which only the teacher will be gorging himself. Lamia sets off into town with her grandmother Bibi (Waheed Thabet Khreibat) on a desperate shopping expedition, carrying her pet cockerel, Hindi, who gives a great animal performance and whose unpredictable crowings clearly forced the actors to improvise lines around him."
The film follows nine-year-old Lamia in early-1990s Iraq who is required by her school to bake a birthday cake for Saddam Hussein despite severe shortages caused by international sanctions. Lamia draws the assignment and must source every ingredient amid scarcity. Lamia's friend Saeed, groomed as a pickpocket, must supply fruit. Lamia travels with her grandmother Bibi and her pet cockerel Hindi, meeting vivid characters including a grocer who trades treats for sexual favors and a man who offers to take Lamia for baking powder. The largely nonprofessional cast includes Baneen Ahmad Nayyef as Lamia. The film blends charm, danger, and improvised performances.
Read at www.theguardian.com
Unable to calculate read time
Collection
[
|
...
]