Directed by Hasan Hadi | Written by Hadi and Eric Roth | 105 min | ▲▲▲▲ 

An extraordinary film for a few reasons, one of which is this is a story about people in Iraq that’s actually shot on location, featuring scenes on the Mesopotamian marshes and the streets of Baghdad. Set during the 1990s, at a time of sanctions and deprivation in the years after the first Gulf War, nine-year-old Lamia (Baneen Ahmad Nayyef) has been chosen by her teacher to make a cake to celebrate Saddam Hussein’s birthday. She and her grandmother, Bibi (Waheed Thabet Khreibat), have no money. In fact, things are so bad that Bibi takes her to Baghdad, intending on handing her granddaughter over to a foster family because she can’t take care of her anymore. Lamia and her rooster, Hindi, meet up with a friend of hers from school, Saeed (Sajad Mohamad Qasem), who joins her quest to find the flour, eggs, and sugar required for the cake.

What follows is a rambling, gorgeous story featuring a sprawling cast of non-professional actors — the kids are especially impressive — a collection of amazing scenes in the markets, restaurants, and small businesses of Baghdad. It offers a look into the lives of ordinary Iraqis who thrive even during hard times, with a story that’s sad, comedic, rich with detail, and even, fleetingly, heartwarming.