Within the framework of the Focus-Country Iraq that will take place during the first half of 2026, on Thursday 12 February at 18:00, Casa Árabe organizes, in collaboration with Atalante Cinema, the presentation of the Iraqi film La tarta del presidente (Mamlaket Al-Qasab), followed by a colloquium with the writer Muhsin al-Ramli, at the Cines Renoir Plaza de España (calle Martín de los Heros, 12). Tickets for sale on the website of the Renoir cinemas. Projection in Spanish Subtitled Original Version (VOSE). Colloquium in Spanish.
After winning the Golden Chamber for Best First Film and the Audience Award at the 2025 Cannes Directors’ Fortnight, the film by director Hasan Hadi begins its tour in Madrid.
The film is set in 1990s Iraq. Little Lamia is given the task of making a cake for President Saddam Hussein’s birthday. Accompanied by her friend Saeed and with her Hindi cock on her back, she travels through Baghdad in search of the ingredients, living a series of adventures that will completely alter her daily life.
The president’s cake has been nominated for an Oscar for Best International Film by Iraq. Winner of the Camera d’Oro for best first film and the Audience Award at the Cannes 2025 Directors’ Fortnight. It is performed by Banin Ahmad Nayef, Sajad Mohamad Qasem and Waheed Thabet Khreibat.
Muhsin Al-Ramli is one of the most important Iraqi novelists and playwrights, as well as a translator of several Spanish classics into Arabic. He has lived in Spain since 1995, when he was forced into exile by the regime of Saddam Hussein. He is the brother of the writer Hassan Mutlak, considered as the «Iraqi Lorca» by the intelligentsia of his country, who was hanged by the regime in 1990 after participating in an attempted coup d’état. Founder of the cultural magazine Alwah in 1997, of which he is co-editor, since 2004 he is a professor at the University of San Luis, Madrid. Her novel The President’s Gardens was a finalist in 2013 for the IPAF prize, known as the “Arab Booker Award”, and won the English Pen Award.
If you want to get one of the 10 double entries that we raffle, enter our social networks from Monday 9 February and follow all the steps to participate. The draw is possible thanks to the collaboration of Casa Árabe with Atalante Cinema, distributor of the film.
