# Doha festival to open with Yemeni drama about women’s resilience

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/doha-film-festival-opens-second-edition-with-yemeni-war-drama-centring-womens-resilience/
- Published: 2026-09-23T11:08:27+00:00
- Updated: 2026-09-23T17:44:58+00:00
- Topics: Entertainment, Film, Geopolitics, Middle East, Politics, World

## Key points

- Doha Film Festival opens second edition with Yemeni-set drama centring women's resilience
- Directors's previous documentary received Oscar and BAFTA nominations
- Festival proceeds despite regional geopolitical tensions; Saudi Arabia cancelled its festival

## Summary

Qatar's Doha Film Festival has announced *The Station*, a drama about a women-only petrol station in war-torn Yemen, as the opening film of its second edition in November 2026. The selection constitutes a statement of artistic commitment: whilst neighbouring Saudi Arabia has cancelled its Red Sea International Film Festival in December citing heightened geopolitical tensions, the Doha Film Institute is proceeding with its programme to demonstrate cinema's power for dialogue and connection during regional instability. The film, directed by Yemeni-Scottish filmmaker Sara Ishaq in her debut feature, explores themes of female resilience and sisterhood against the backdrop of Yemen's humanitarian crisis.

Ishaq brings substantial credentials to the project, having previously directed the Oscar and BAFTA-nominated documentary *Karama Has No Walls* (2012) about the 2011 Yemeni Revolution. *The Station*, starring Manal Al-Mulaiki as petrol station owner Layal, premiered at Cannes Critics' Week in May and won five awards at Venice 2025, including the La Biennale di Venezia Award for Best Film in Post-Production. The film is a multinational co-production involving Yemeni, Jordanian, French, German, Dutch, Norwegian and Qatari partners. Yemen itself faces what the United Nations has termed one of the world's most severe humanitarian crises, affecting its 40 million population through ongoing civil conflict, climate change-induced floods and drought.

## Coverage

- [Variety: Yemeni-Scottish Director Sara Ishaq’s Civil War Drama ‘The Station’ Set as Doha Film Festival Opener](https://variety.com/2026/film/festivals/sara-ishaq-the-station-doha-film-festival-opener-1236872311/)
- [Deadline: Qatar’s Doha Film Festival To Open With Yemeni Female-Focused Drama ‘The Station’](https://deadline.com/2026/09/doha-film-festival-opening-film-station-1237111065/)

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