German international sales agent Films Boutique is bringing a total of seven films to Cannes this year. The line-up includes a world premiere in Directors’ Fortnight, four market screenings during the Marché du Film (13–21 May), and two titles featured in the Cannes Écrans Juniors section.

Leading the line-up is The President’s Cake, the debut feature by Iraqi-American director Hasan Hadi, premiering in Directors’ Fortnight. Set in 1990s Iraq, the film follows 9-year-old Lamia, who is unexpectedly chosen to bake a birthday cake for Saddam Hussein, a grim ritual mandated across the country’s schools amid wartime scarcity. As her family struggles with food shortages and the oppressive regime, Lamia embarks on a quietly defiant quest to gather the necessary ingredients, using her imagination and resourcefulness to navigate a world where even innocence carries the weight of fear. The film was entirely shot in Iraq and produced by Leah Chen Baker. Executive producers include award-winning screenwriter Eric Roth and director Marielle Heller. It is a co-production between Missing Piece Films, Working Barn Productions, Maiden Voyage Films, and Spark Features.

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Among the Marché du Film screenings is Peter Hujar’s Day [+leggi anche:
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scheda film], the latest film by Ira Sachs, following its premieres at Sundance and in Berlinale Panorama. Set entirely within a Manhattan apartment, the film reimagines a real 1974 conversation between photographer Peter Hujar and writer Linda Rosenkrantz, unfolding over the course of a single day. Also screening at the market is Girls on Wire by Vivian Qu, a Berlinale Competition title. This drama-thriller follows cousins Tian Tian and Fang Di, once as close as sisters, who are driven apart by personal and financial hardship.

Sundance World Cinema Dramatic entry Where the Wind Comes From [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Amel Guellaty
scheda film], the debut feature by Tunisian director Amel Guellaty, is also featured in the market screenings. This lyrical road movie follows fearless Alyssa and introspective Mehdi, two lifelong friends who embark on a soul-searching journey across Tunisia. Another market title is Afternoons of Solitude [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Albert Serra
scheda film], the San Sebastián Golden Shell-winning documentary by Albert Serra. Immersive and meditative, the film captures the enigmatic world of bullfighting through the lens of star matador Andrés Roca Rey.

Finally, in the Cannes Écrans Juniors selection, DJ Ahmet [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Georgi M. Unkovski
scheda film], the Sundance-awarded debut feature by Georgi M. Unkovski, tells the story of 15-year-old Ahmet, who finds solace in music while grappling with his father’s rigid expectations. Completing the line-up is Tarika [+leggi anche:
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intervista: Milko Lazarov
scheda film] by Bulgarian director Milko Lazarov, which follows a young girl burdened by a rare bone condition that stirs superstition in her isolated village.