Qatar’s Doha Film Festival has announced The Station – set against the backdrop of a women-only petrol station in war-torn Yemen – as the opening film of its second edition this November.
The drama, which world premiered at Cannes Critics’ Week in May, is the first fiction feature of Yemeni Scottish filmmaker Sara Ishaq.
She previously made waves with the Oscar and BAFTA-nominated short documentary Karama Has No Walls (2012) about the 2011 Yemeni Revolution, followed by The Mulberry House about the director’s return to her childhood home in Yemen in her 20s after a decade living in Scotland.
Described by festival organizer the Doha Film Institute as “a bold and deeply human story of resilience, sisterhood and solidarity”, The Station revolves around petrol station owner Layal (Manal Al-Mulaiki) who reigns over a rare sanctuary where women gather for fuel, conversation and moments of respite from the realities surrounding them.
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When Layal’s younger brother faces enlistment, she is forced to reconnect with her estranged sister to save him.
Al-Mulaiki is joined in the cast by Abeer Mohammed, Rashad Khaled, Saleh Al-marshahi, Fariha Hassan, Randa Mohammed, Fatima Muthanna, Amal Esmail and Shorooq Mohammed.
“The world of The Station distils what I love and cherish about Yemen into a fragile utopia, constantly overshadowed by turmoil beyond its walls. At its core, this film is about people in all their complexity, contradictions and humanity. It is an ode to the people of Yemen, who have endured years of war with dignity and strength,” said Ishaq.
The United Nations has described the situation in Yemen as one of “the world’s most severe humanitarian and development crises”, as the 40 million-strong population grapples with the consequences of an ongoing civil conflict as well as, in more recent years, climate change which has seen the country hit by both floods and drought.
The DFI’s announcement of The Station as its opening film confirms that the institute is pushing on with the festival’s second edition in spite of the difficult geopolitical situation in the Gulf sparked by the U.S.-Israel-Iran war.
The announcement follows hot on the heels of neighboring Saudi Arabia’s decision to cancel the 2026 edition of its Red Sea International Film Festival, due to take place in Jeddah in December, following “a review” amid a ratcheting up in the conflict between the country and the Iran-backed Houthi group in Yemen, as well as continuing tensions with Iran.
The DFI said that the launch of the 2026 edition of its festival with a story “deeply rooted in place and universal in its themes” was a reminder “that even in the most difficult circumstances, cinema can create a space for connection, dignity and hope.”
The Station has strong connections with the DFI as a recipient of its grants programme. Ahead of being selected for Cannes Critics’ Week, it won five awards at Final Cut in Venice 2025, including the La Biennale di Venezia Award for Best Film in Post-Production.
“The Station embodies the spirit of cinema we believe in at Doha Film Institute — stories rarely heard that cross borders and remind us of our shared humanity. Sara Ishaq has created a film of extraordinary courage and tenderness, transforming a story rooted in Yemen into one that speaks to audiences everywhere,” said DFI CEO Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, who is also director of the festival.
“In opening Doha Film Festival 2026 with The Station, we are opening a space for dialogue, connection and a deeper understanding of the world through the power of film.”
A Yemeni, Jordanian, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian and Qatari coproduction, the film is produced by Screen Project (a Ta Films company), in co-production with Georges Films, One Two Films, KeplerFilm, BarentsFilm, Setara Films and The Imaginarium Films. Paris-based Paradise City handles sales.
“In this time of uncertainty in our beloved region, our ability to come together and support our own narrative is vital. The Station is a testament to that solidarity. The film received invaluable support from Doha Film Institute, and to now celebrate it here, together, at Doha Film Festival, is a truly special moment for all of us,” said lead producer Nadia Eliewat, who co-wrote the screenplay with Ishaq.
Launched last year by the DFI, the Doha Film Festival was built on the foundations of its long-running family-focused cinema event Ajyal, which ran for more than a decade during the same period.
Unfolding in various locations across the Qatari capital of Doha including the Katara Cultural Village, Msheireb Downtown Doha, and the Museum of Islamic Art, it features an International Competition, offering more than $300,000 in prize money, as well as the high profile Industry Days, run in conjunction with the Qatar Film Committee.
The second Doha Film Festival will run from November 19 to 27.
