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Doha festival to open with Yemeni drama about women’s resilience
Developed over time first seen 2 months ago
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.
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In short
- 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
How this story developed
- 2 months ago The film's plot further reveals that Layal must reconnect with an estranged sister, a detail that enriches the narrative's exploration of female resilience and familial bonds amid Yemen's humanitarian catastrophe.
- 2 months ago The festival will run from 19–27 November 2026, and the film centres on Layal, a petrol station owner attempting to prevent her brother's military conscription whilst her establishment becomes a haven for civilians amid Yemen's conflict.
- 2 months ago Qatar's Doha Film Festival has announced *The Station*, Yemeni-Scottish filmmaker Sara Ishaq's debut feature about a women-only petrol station in war-torn Yemen, as the opening film of its second edition in November 2026, positioning the selection as a statement of artistic commitment amid regional instability following Saudi Arabia's cancellation of its Red Sea festival.
Full account
The Doha Film Festival has selected 'The Station', a drama by Yemeni-Scottish filmmaker Sara Ishaq, as the opening film for its second edition, scheduled to run from 19 to 27 November. The film, which premiered at Cannes Critics' Week earlier this year, centres on Layal, who operates a women-only petrol station in Yemen that functions as a sanctuary during the nation's ongoing civil conflict. The narrative follows Layal's efforts to prevent her younger brother from military conscription by reconciling with an estranged sister. Though fictional, the film draws on real circumstances and explores the ramifications of prolonged warfare on Yemeni society.
Ishaq previously established recognition through her Oscar and BAFTA-nominated documentary 'Karama Has No Walls', which documented the 2011 Yemeni uprising, and a subsequent feature examining her return to her childhood home in the country. For 'The Station', she cast predominantly Yemeni performers, many without professional acting experience. Lead actress Manal Al-Mulaiki is supported by an ensemble including Abeer Mohammed, Rashad Khaled and others. The production drew backing from the Doha Film Institute through its grants programme and subsequently collected five awards at the Final Cut festival in Venice in 2025.
The selection of 'The Station' as opening film reflects the Doha Film Institute's continued investment in regional storytelling and international audiences. The institute has undergone a substantial restructuring of its annual festival, transforming its existing youth-oriented Ajyal Film Festival into a broader international event featuring four distinct competition categories: international features, short films, the youth-led Ajyal competition, and a strand dedicated to Qatari productions. Festival leadership highlighted how the film exemplifies their vision of providing platforms for overlooked narratives that possess universal resonance.
The festival's continuation carries particular significance given contemporary circumstances. Yemen faces what the United Nations characterises as one of the world's most pressing humanitarian emergencies, with its 40 million inhabitants contending with civil conflict, recently compounded by climate-related disasters including flooding and drought. The Doha Film Institute's decision to proceed stands in contrast to neighbouring Saudi Arabia's recent cancellation of its Red Sea International Film Festival, which the country attributed to a security review amid intensifying regional tensions involving the Iran-backed Houthi movement and broader U.S.-Israeli-Iranian dynamics. The institute framed the festival's opening as a reaffirmation that cinema can foster dialogue and understanding even amid geopolitical turbulence.
Where outlets differ
From the full account, which is AI-written from the sources:
Source 1 emphasises the festival's institutional transformation and its four competition strands; Source 2 contextualises the announcement within broader geopolitical tensions, specifically Saudi Arabia's cancellation and regional conflicts
Source 1 mentions the conflict's historical death toll (150,000); Source 2 frames the crisis through current humanitarian dimensions (40 million population, climate impacts, UN characterisation)
Source 1 focuses on the DFI's mission and values; Source 2 provides greater biographical context about Ishaq's earlier acclaimed works
Source 2 names the lead actress and supporting cast; Source 1 does not
Source 1 identifies the previous year's opening film (Kaouther Ben Hania's work); Source 2 uses the Saudi festival cancellation as a comparative reference point
Explained simply
The Doha Film Festival in Qatar is opening its second edition in November 2026 with a film called The Station, which tells the story of a women-only petrol station in Yemen during the country's ongoing civil conflict. Yemen remains in acute humanitarian crisis according to the United Nations, with 40 million people enduring civil war, food insecurity, and climate impacts including recent floods and drought. The film explores themes of female resilience and sisterhood against this backdrop.
The film is directed by Sara Ishaq, a filmmaker of Yemeni and Scottish heritage whose earlier documentary work received Oscar and BAFTA nominations. The Station is her debut feature film and has already won multiple awards at international festivals including Cannes and Venice. The decision to proceed comes as neighbouring Saudi Arabia has cancelled its own major film festival scheduled for December, citing heightened regional geopolitical tensions.
Coverage · 2 sources
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