The Middle East premiere of Yemeni-Scottish filmmaker Sara Ishaq’s timely drama “The Station” will open the revamped Doha Film Festival, which will run Nov. 19–27 in the Qatari capital. The film centers on Layal, who runs a women-only gas station in Yemen which is a safe haven during the country’s civil war. This fictional tale based on real events looks at the impact of civil war on the country, just as Yemen is on the edge of a possible return to the conflict that killed 150,000 and brought many others close to famine.
The film’s selection “continues the DFI’s long-standing commitment to nurturing promising talent from the region and bringing their stories to audiences around the world,” the fest said in a statement. 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.” Ishaq added, “The world of ‘The Station’ distills 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.” The film, which features mostly non-professional Yemeni actors, is produced by Screen Project (a Ta Films Company) and Georges Films. It is co-produced by One Two Films, KeplerFilm, Barentsfilm, Setara Films and The Imaginarium Films. Last year’s inaugural Doha Film Festival opened with Tunisian director Kaouther Ben Hania’s politically charged Gaza-set drama “The Voice of Hind Rajab.” The revamped Doha Film Festival has transformed the Doha Film Institute’s existing Ajyal Film Festival, dedicated to youth and family-friendly cinema, into a more ambitious international event for a broader audience.
It has four competition strands: international feature film competition, short film competition, the Ajyal film competition (judged by the festival’s unique youth jury) and the Made in Qatar competition, dedicated to projects made in Qatar regardless of the director’s provenance.
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