THE STATION (AL MAHATTAH) Discovery

North American Premiere

In war-torn Yemen, Layal runs an unlikely sanctuary: a women-only petrol station that doubles as a café and social club where the rules are clear — no men, no weapons, no politics. Behind its walls, women trade goods, share news, primp and find a semblance of normalcy while conflict rages beyond the gates. But when Layal’s 12-year-old brother, Laith, is deemed old enough to enlist, the refuge she has fought to protect suddenly feels dangerously fragile. With only hours to save him, and grappling with a desperate shortage of fuel, Layal is forced to reconnect with her estranged sister for help, while confronting the family wounds they have long suppressed. Featuring an impressive cast of mostly non-professionals, Sara Ishaq’s assured debut feature is a poignant story of women holding their world and one another together when everything around them is coming apart. –Mimi Brody