Iraq's first-ever director at Cannes Festival wins best feature debut

Hasan Hadi, the first filmmaker from Iraq to be selected for the prestigious Cannes Festival, on Saturday won a top prize for his childhood adventure under economic sanctions in "The President's Cake."

His first feature-length film follows nine-year-old Lamia after her school teacher picks her to bake the class a cake for President Saddam Hussein's birthday or risk being denounced for disloyalty.

It is the early 1990s, the country is under crippling U.N. sanctions, and she and her grandmother can barely afford to eat.

The pair set off from their home in the marshlands into town to try to track down the unaffordable ingredients.

Hadi dedicated his Camera d'Or award, which honors first-time directors, to "every kid or child around the world who somehow finds love, friendship, and joy amid war, sanctions, and dictatorship.

"You are the real heroes," he said.

He later shared the stage with dissident Iranian filmmaker Jafar Panahi, who won the festival's Palme D'Or top prize for his "It Was Just an Accident," the tale of five ordinary Iranians confronting a man they believed tortured them in jail.

"The President's Cake" has received excellent reviews since premiering last week in the Directors' Fortnight section. Cinema bible Variety called it a "tragicomic gem."

Deadline said it was "head and shoulders above" some of the films in the running for the festival's Palme d'Or top prize, and "could turn out to be Iraq's first nominee for an Oscar."

Also from the Middle East, Palestinian director Tawfeek Barhom received his award for his short film "I'm Glad You're Dead Now."

After giving thanks, he took the opportunity to mention the war in Gaza.

"In 20 years from now when we are visiting the Gaza Strip, try not to think about the dead and have a nice trip," he said.

Outside the main competition, Gazan twin brothers Arab and Tarzan Nasser on Friday received a directing award in the Certain Regard parallel section for "Once Upon A Time In Gaza."

One of them dedicated the award to Palestinians, especially those living in their homeland of Gaza, which they left in 2012.

He said that, when they hesitated to return to Cannes to receive the prize, his mother had encouraged him to go and tell the world about the suffering of people in Gaza.

"She said, 'No, no, no, you have to go. Tell them to stop the genocide," he said.

AFP