The Arab and wider Muslim world has long held a conflicted relationship with former Libyan leader Muammar Qadhafi and Iraqi dictator Saddam Hussein. While both were widely condemned for their oppressive rule, the turmoil that followed their removal has led some to reassess their legacies.
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These contrasting sentiments resurfaced at the Doha Film Festival through two compelling films: The President’s Cake and My Father and Qadhafi.
Iraqi filmmaker Hasan Hadi stunned audiences with the Middle Eastern premiere of his debut feature, The President’s Cake, already decorated with awards from Cannes, including the Audience Award and Golden Camera.
The team behind the documentary feature ‘My Father and Qaddafi’ by Jihan which had its world premiere at the Venice Film Festival and is having its MENA premiere this week at #DFF25. pic.twitter.com/oWdR0kjYOI
— Doha Film Institute (@DohaFilm) November 21, 2025
Iraq-Qatar-US co-production is also Iraq’s submission for the Academy Awards. Set in the 1990s, the film follows nine-year-old Lamia, an orphan living with her elderly grandmother amid crippling sanctions and widespread exploitation in Saddam’s Iraq.
The story captures Lamia’s desperate attempt to bake a birthday cake for Saddam — a task assigned by her teacher — as a means to avoid being given away for adoption. Child star Baneen Ahmad Nayyef delivers a remarkable performance, portraying the fear, resilience, and innocence of a generation raised under dictatorship.
Hadi noted the devastating impact of the 1990s blockade, recalling the loss of hundreds of thousands of Iraqi children during that era.
مقتطفات من العرض الأول في الشرق الأوسط للفيلم الوثائقي “بابا والقذافي” بمهرجان الدوحة السينمائي بحضور مخرجته جيهان وفريق العمل.#DFF25 pic.twitter.com/utSzMwYmKc
— Doha Film Institute (@DohaFilm) November 22, 2025
The second film, My Father and Qadhafi, marks the documentary debut of Jihan K, who retraces the 19-year mystery surrounding her father, Mansour Rashid Kikhia — a former Libyan minister and diplomat who disappeared in Cairo in 1993.
His body was only discovered in 2012 after Qadhafi’s fall. The film weaves the family’s painful search with Libya’s turbulent history, from colonial occupation to civil war, while remaining grounded in the intimate memories of a daughter seeking closure.
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Jihan spent nine years crafting the film, interviewing over 60 people. Despite its criticism of Italian colonial actions, the documentary premiered at the Venice Film Festival, highlighting its global relevance.