L’ATELIER DU FESTIVAL
THE STATION
Directed by : Sara ISHAQ
- Year of production : 2021
- Country : Yemen
- Length : 100 minutes
Synopsis
In war-torn Yemen, Zainab (45), a nurse and mother of a dead fighter, runs an impassioned campaign to support the fighters. She drives a van across the country collecting donated supplies. Today, she is determined to get to the frontlines as a major battle is raging and she is urgently needed. Zainab needs fuel for her trip amid a fuel crisis. Her only chance is at a women-only petrol station run by her estranged, war- opposing niece, Layal (25). Unlike Zainab’s lonely world, the station is a buzzing social salon for women, and ‘men, politics and weapons are forbidden’. While Zainab is forced to wait for fuel, she struggles to abide by the station rules. Layal feels that the unwelcome presence of her aunt is making her lose control of the station and of her young brother Laith (8) who is increasingly inspired by the manhood of fighting as preached by Zainab. As Zainab and Layal tirelessly try to find ways for Zainab to leave, they get to experience living as a family for one day.
Statement
When war in Yemen broke out in 2015, my home was left in the throes of fuel and food crises while bombs fell continuously from the sky. Social dynamics shifted overnight as men lost their jobs or flocked to the warring frontlines, and women took on the full weight of providing for their families. Women-only petrol stations popped up in the heart of Sana’a where women waited for hours for fuel. Effectively, while men fueled war, women fueled life. The station was a microcosm of a woman’s world unknown to any outsider and inspired the main setting of the film to tell a story from the sole perspective of Yemeni women in a time of war. Through the journey of our protagonist, we want the audience to experience how war and injustice can radicalise even the most ‘normal’ people.
THE STATION
Credits
Sara ISHAQ - Director
Specifications
Language film :
Arabic
Working budget:
1,21M €
Financing acquired:
62 300 €
Contacts
Production
SCREEN PROJECT
AMMAN
JORDAN
- 962 795 621 437
-
screenproject.net
Nadia
ELIEWAT AMMAN
-
[email protected]
L'Atelier 2020
