The debut feature by Iraqi director Hasan Hadi received the only audience-voted award at the Cannes Film Festival.

At the latest edition of the Directors’ Fortnight at the Cannes Film Festival, The President’s Cake, by Iraqi filmmaker Hasan Hadi, won the People’s Choice Award — the only prize in the entire festival, including both the Official Selection and parallel sections, to be decided by audience vote. The award, which comes with a €7,500 cash prize, establishes this autobiographical tragicomedy as one of the most remarkable films of the festival.

Co-produced by Iraq, the United States, and Qatar, the film draws from Hadi’s own childhood experiences in 1990s Iraq under Saddam Hussein’s regime. It follows nine-year-old Lamia, who is given the absurd and unsettling task of baking a cake for the dictator’s birthday. What seems like a simple mission soon turns into an ordeal marked by food shortages, constant fear, and the harsh conditions imposed by international sanctions. With subtlety and humor, the film transforms the girl’s quest for ingredients into a poignant metaphor for resistance and dignity in the face of oppression.

Meanwhile, Wild Foxes (La Danse des Renards), the first feature by Belgian director Valéry Carnoy, dominated the Directors’ Fortnight’s collateral awards. The story of a young boxer forced to reinvent himself after an injury earned two honors: the Europa Cinemas Label for Best European Film and the Coup de Cœur SACD Award, which recognizes the best French-language film. Starring Samuel Kircher, the film is produced by Hélicotronc (Belgium) in co-production with Les Films du Poisson (France), with international sales handled by The Party Film Sales.