Totem Films, known for the indie hits Compartment No. 6 and Blackbird Blackbird Blackberry, has taken on the distribution for My Favourite Cake, by Iranian duo Maryam Moghaddam and Behtash Sanaeeha. The film, which portrays the reality of middle-class women in the directors’ native Iran, is set to compete at the upcoming Berlinale Film Festival.

Starring Lily Farhadpour and Esmail Mehrabi, the story follows 70-year-old Mahin, a lonely protagonist living her monotonous routine in middle-class Iran. To revitalize her drab existence, she takes a new, exciting chance on unexpected love, leading to beautiful lifelong memories. Moghaddam and Sanaeeha tout My Favourite Cake as an exploration of hope, joy in life, and the absurdity of death. 

The duo had previously presented Ballad of a White Cow at the Berlinale in 2021, which was well-received and sold by Totem Films to over 40 distributors, screening at major festivals worldwide. The Iranian filmmakers expressed confidence in their partnership with Totem Films, and, due to that previous success, this was a highly anticipated reunion.

Moghaddam, born in Tehran, is an actress, screenwriter, and director, while Sanaeeha, born in Shiraz, began with architecture before venturing into the entertainment industry. Their collaboration started with co-writing Risk of Acid Rain (2015).

My Favourite Cake is a joint production of Iran’s Filmsazan Javan, France’s Caracteres Productions, Sweden’s Hobab, and Germany’s Watchmen Productions. The film has received support from various institutions, including the Swedish Film Institute, ZDF/Arte, and Berlinale Co-Production Market. Totem Films’ European Film Market slate also features Crossing by Levan Akin.

Completely committed to showcasing underrepresented voices and cultures, Iranian cinema has had a notable presence in Berlin’s competition. With Golden Bear winners such as A Separation (2011), Taxi (2015), and There Is No Evil (2020), Iran has enjoyed more top prize designations than any other country in the world.