Santa Claus in Baghdad

In impoverished Baghdad under Saddam's dictatorship, 16-year-old Amal hopes to regain her social status at school by volunteering to find a book as a class gift for the departing literature teacher. Meanwhile, her emotionally fragile little brother becomes obsessed with the notion that a visiting uncle from America--whom he confuses with Santa Claus--will bring him toys. Ashamed never to have been able to give his son a toy, the child's father sells some more prized family possessions and buys a model car for him.

• Raouf ZakiWriter
• Raouf ZakiDirector
• Elsa MarstonWriter

• Tamara DhiaAmal
• Nora ArmaniAmal's Mother
• Demosthenes ChrysanAmal's Father
• May CalamawyHala (as May El Calamawy)
• John Rahal SarroufMr. Kareem
• Miriam HabibStudent 1
• Alexandra NaderStudent 2
• Ameena SaisRafeeka
• Sara HassanDeena
• Dody EidBilal
• David ZakiSami
• Marie-Thérèse Abou-DaoudBilal's Teacher