By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Ahmad Qasem Saywan | Baneen Ahmad Nayyef | Muthanna Malaghi | Sajad Mohamad Qasem | Waheed Thabet Khreibat
Original language title: Mamlaket al-qasab
Year: 2026
Running time: 105
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt36580119
Michael says: “In a classic dark fairy tale format, Lamia is separated from her grandmother when they travel to Baghdad to try to acquire the necessary ingredients for the cake, despite having no money and very little to trade. Alone in the city with her ubiquitous pet rooster, she is able to find her classmate who also came to the city with his father.
“Navigating thieves, corruption, predatory men, and even their own personal clash, Lamia’s journey shows starkly the horror of living in a dictatorial regime and a country under fire from the U.S. Somehow despite tragedy, and fortunately some well-played humor, it looks like things might work out for Lamia. The film, however, concludes on a decidedly ambiguous note, that while moving, might also enhance the tragic consequences of a life at war.
“Young Baneen Ahmed Nayyef, a non-actor, is remarkably effective as Lamia. Her comic timing, and her capacity to show emotion work well under director Hasan Hadi’s hand. The film was based on some of his childhood memories, and the cinematography by Tudor Vladimir Panduru, captures the beauty of the marshes, and harsh yet colorful background of the city. 4 cats“