THE STORY – Layal runs a women-only petrol station in Yemen, a safe haven in a war-torn country. There, the rules are simple: no men, no weapons, no politics. When Layal’s younger brother faces enlistment, she reunites with her estranged sister to save the one life they still can.
THE CAST – Manal Al-Mulaiki, Abeer Mohammed, Rashad Khaled, Saleh Al-marshahi, Fariha Hassan, Amal Esmail, Shorooq Mohammed, Randa Mohammed & Fatima Muthanna
THE TEAM – Sara Ishaq (Director/Writer) & Nadia Eliewat (Writer)
THE RUNNING TIME – 112 Minutes
Yemeni-Scottish filmmaker Sara Ishaq, Oscar-nominated for her 2012 documentary short “Karama Has No Walls,” returns with compelling subject matter for her fiction debut feature. The perpetually war-ridden country of Yemen was once known for thriving cities and fertile fields. With “The Station,” director and writer Ishaq depicts one of the few safe spaces left: a women-only petrol station, where a tight-knit community looks out for one another. Inspired by real-life experiences and immersed in a parallel utopia where there are no weapons and no men, the film prioritizes a well-rounded depiction of sisterhood. It’s an empowering watch and refreshingly humorous at times, considering the authoritarian regime that clouds the women’s place of refuge. With nuanced characterizations and a deftly plotted central conflict, Ishaq finds a grounded story of female resilience that gives voice to their everyday sacrifices.
Layal (Manal Al-Mulaiki) runs the petrol station in a military-controlled Yemen village, where boys over the age of 12 are barraged with recruitment calls and enlistment posters. In this village, all boys must either join a military boot camp or pay a fee to stay in the community. Layal’s younger brother, Laith (Rashad Khaled), is considered an exception to the rules, as he is the only male in the family. However, because Layal is behind on her community payments, she must pay millions by sunset to prevent Laith from being recruited. Desperate and running out of time, Layal reconnects with her estranged sister, Shams (Abeer Mohammed), who suggests an alternative plan when Laith’s inheritance money falls through. All the while, Laith is coming of age, and his curiosity about exploration adds to the tension.
The open-hearted story and humane characterizations bring to mind Roger Ebert’s concept of viewing films as empathy machines. Dramatizing an inner world rarely explored in the cinematic mainstream, “The Station” offers a deeply unique perspective on war and sisterhood. Ishaq’s direction offers a representation of Yemen that only cinema can achieve. Extending beyond the impact a typical documentary might have on the subject, the fictional format encourages uninhibited directorial choices. It leaves room for more creative expression and ingenuity in the character and plot development. An early focus on Layal coordinating the arrival of more fuel effectively builds tension, heightening the lingering fear that the fuel will not be delivered to the village safely.
Guided by Layal’s urgency to protect and sustain her community, the film focuses on the resilience of sisterhood. We learn very early on that the film is honoring real-life inspirations, and this context adds captivating layers of history beneath the narrative. Ishaq and her co-writer, Nadia Eliewat, make a point of keeping “The Station” focused on the livelihoods women must fight to protect in the face of destruction. There is an unwavering authenticity to the women’s portrayals, as they never come across as exploitative of identities or experiences. The film’s opening montage of household chores sets a precedent for this focus, underscoring a society built on women’s sacrifices. While the men were losing their lives on battlefields, women were left behind to maintain a version of normalcy and keep their families together. Additionally, not centering the war itself in this narrative allows for compelling character dynamics. We instead see the direct impact of a war-torn landscape on a place of refuge, as shown in a resonant scene of women collectively removing their hijabs so that the men banging on the petrol station doors stop attempting to break in.
Balancing community tensions and family relationships, “The Station” unfolds in moments of quiet intensity, culminating in a suspenseful final act that centers on the search for missing loved ones. This intense turn of events maintains the subtle storytelling that comes before and amplifies tension through the characters’ willingness to fight back against political unrest. There comes a point when Layal’s sister, Shams, expresses a pessimistic view of hope. Hope for justice has killed her spirit so many times that she no longer appears hesitant about potential consequences. She has an energized willingness to take drastic action, and it is this spirit that holds the world of “The Station” together. In this all-encompassing and moving female community, however fragile and full of contradictions it may be, sisterhood goes a long way.
