Sara Ishaq’s “The Station” won La Biennale di Venezia Prize (€5.000), given to the best film in post-production.
Jurors Fatih Abay, Nathalie Jeung and Claudio Rapino were taken by the story of Layal, who runs a women-only fuel station in a segregated war-torn Yemeni town. She’s faced with her 12-year-old brother’s growing desire to break free – when her estranged sister shows up with a proposition for the boy, the siblings’ relationship is put to the test.
The film is produced by Screen Project and Georges Films. One Two Films, KeplerFilm, BarentsFilm, The Imaginarium Films, Setara Films and Ta Films co-produce.
Ishaq, also behind docs “The Mulberry House,” “Stranded” and Oscar-nominated “Karama Has No Walls,” came across an actual women-only petrol station during the war in Yemen back in 2015.
“While waiting in long queues with my sisters, I observed a unique atmosphere around us. This vibrant, women-only microcosm became a rare space where women from all walks of life came together with one common goal: to sustain and support their families,” she revealed.
“Despite occasional disputes, the mood was lively and communal. Here, I listened to personal accounts of life during wartime; accounts of economic hardship, families divided by political tensions, loved ones lost to the conflict, and, amid the darkness, moments of joy: stories of survival, weddings, and new births.”
While she initially considered making a documentary, “the social and security constraints of the sensitive environment made filming impossible.”
“Still, the stories of resilience, sisterhood and survival lingered with me for a year, resulting in the birth of ‘The Station.’ My first foray into fiction filmmaking.”
Ishaq’s project was also noticed by Titra Film, Rai Cinema, Sub-Ti Ltd. and Turin’s Sub-Ti Access Srl.
In an interview with Variety, she said: “Women always played a huge role in [Yemeni] society. But at this particular time, where men were either laid off from their jobs, or they were drawn to the fighting, women really came to the forefront…. They were still running the household but also trying to figure out ways to generate an income for their families.”
“At its heart, the story is not about politics. It is about people, their relationships, contradictions and resilience. What makes us not only Yemeni, but human,” she said, intent to celebrate the people of Yemen who “have endured and survived years of war with dignity, humor and strength.”
Hugo Salvaterra’s “My Semba” was another big winner, with Laser Film, Studio A Fabrica, The Cinémathèque Afrique of the Institut Français and Festival International du Film de Fribourg all deciding to come on board.
It was described as an ode to “poetry, cinema, and music – exploring survival, identity and resilience in an African metropolis where art becomes resistance.”
It focuses on a young man navigating the intensity of life in Luanda: “a city that mirrors the energy and contradictions of many African megacities.” Alongside his siblings, he takes refuge in art, “wrestles with faith, and draws strength from the bond of brotherhood.”
“House of the Wind” by Auguste Kouemo Yanghu was noticed by M74 srl and Mnemonica, and Mariam Al-Dhubhani’s “Let’s Play Soldiers” secured collab with MAD Solutions and an invitation from El Gouna Film Festival to participate in the industry platform CineGouna.
Hind Bensari’s “Out of Schools” was awarded by the Red Sea Fund and Festival International du Film d’Amiens. “Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep,” directed by Rakan Mayasi – by Oticons. Finally, Saeed Taji Farouky’s “Standing at the Ruins” was picked by 196-MEDIA and “Legacy” by Mamadou Dia – by Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie.
‘My Semba’
You can find the full list of awards here:
“The Station”
Yemen, Jordan, France, Germany, Netherlands, Norway, Qatar
Directed by Sara Ishaq
La Biennale di Venezia Prize (€ 5.000)
Titra Film (Paris) is offering up to € 5.000 for color-grading; up to € 3.000 for the production of a DCP master, or the creation of i-Tunes, Google or Netflix files; up to € 2.000 for French or English subtitles (translation not included).
Rai Cinema is offering € 5.000 for a first negotiation right for the acquisition of Free TV exploitation rights in the Italian territory and obligation to mention “in collaboration with Rai Cinema S.p.a.” in the credits of the work.
Sub-Ti Ltd.(London) is offering up to € 7.500 for the creation of the DCP master with Italian or English subtitles.
Sub-Ti Access Srl (Turin) is offering up to € 7.500 for the accessible contents of the film for audiences with sensory disabilities
“My Semba”
Angola
Directed by Hugo Salvaterra
Laser Film (Rome) is offering € 15.000 for the color correction of a feature-length film for up to 50 hours of work (technician included);
Studio A Fabrica (Ajaccio) is offering € 15.000 offered by for the sound mixing of a feature length film (up to 12 days of work, sound mixer not included)
The Cinémathèque Afrique of the Institut Français (Paris) is offering the Prize “Coup de cœur de la Cinémathèque Afrique”, consisting of the acquisition of the non-commercial and non-exclusive broadcasting rights for 7 years with a value of € 4.000 – € 6.000
Festival International du Film de Fribourg is offering its participation in the production costs of a DCP (€ 2.500).
“House of the Wind”
Cameroon, Benin, France, Belgium
Directed by Auguste Kouemo Yanghu
M74 srl (Rome) is offering up to € 10.000 for digital visual effects “2D Comp”
Mnemonica will offer its cloud platform to safely store, share and distribute the winning movie for a value of € 10,000.
“Let’s Play Soldiers” (working title)
Yemen, Qatar, Norway, France
Directed by Mariam Al-Dhubhani
For a feature-length fiction film a minimum of $ 10.000 MG or for a feature-length documentary a minimum of $ 3.000 MG for marketing, publicity and distribution in the Arab World or internationally, offered by MAD Solutions for one Arab project
$ 5.000 awarded to an Arab project offered by the El Gouna Film Festival and an invitation to participate in the industry platform CineGouna
“Out of Schools”
Morocco, Denmark
Directed by Hind Bensari
Red Sea Fund (Red Sea Film Foundation) is offering € 5.000.
Festival International du Film d’Amiens is offering its participation in the production costs of a DCP (€ 2.500).
“Yesterday the Eye Didn’t Sleep”
Belgium, Lebanon, Palestine
Directed by Rakan Mayasi
Oticons will offer tailored film music services, in the form of either music consulting, and/or music supervision and/or the production of an original score. These services are valued at up to €10,000.
“Standing at the Ruins”
Egypt, United Kingdom
Directed by Saeed Taji Farouky
196-MEDIA (Rome) is offering up to € 10.000 for the sound mixing of a feature length film (up to 7 days of work, auditorium and technician included)
“Legacy”
Senegal, France
Directed by Mamadou Dia
Organisation Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)/ACP/EU is offering € 5.000 as a refund for post-production services – delivered by societies based in one of the EU or OACPS countries (except South Africa) – of a feature-length film by a director from one of the ACP countries and produced or co-produced by a society based in one of the ACP countries.