“No Men. No Weapons. No Politics.” So reads a sign that we see in the opening moments of The Station (Al Mahattah), the debut fiction feature of Yemeni-Scottish director Sara Ishaq (documentary The Mulberry House).
Its simple story is set in a complex world. “Layal runs a women-only petrol station (aka a gas station in U.S. English) in Yemen, a safe haven in a war-torn country,” highlights a summary of the film. Its rules are listed on the just-mentioned sign. “When Layal’s younger brother faces enlistment, she reunites with her estranged sister to save the one life they still can.”
The film, which Ishaq co-wrote with Nadia Eliewat, world premieres on Sunday, May 17, as part of the 65th edition of the Cannes Critics’ Week, the sidebar that runs alongside the main Cannes Film Festival.
Manal Al-Mulaiki, Abeer Mohammed, Rashad Khaled, Saleh Al-marshahi, Fariha Hassan, Amal Esmail, Shorooq Mohammed, Randa Mohammed and Fatima Muthanna feature in the cast. The cinematography was handled by Amine Berrada, the editor was Romain Namura, and Paradise City Sales is handling sales.
Ishaq has, since 2015, trained filmmakers in Yemen. Since 2022, she has managed the International Coalition for Filmmakers at Risk in Amsterdam. Ahead of The Station‘s Cannes premiere, Ishaq talked to THR about the inspiration for and production of the film, the casting process, as well as how it fits into today’s world.
