| Testimonials:"A beautiful example of how a film can explore grand themes in microcosm."Jim Slotek, Jam! Magazine"It’s a film rich with symbolism, from the fortified fence that separates Salma from much of her land to the lemons and the disputed earth that grows them."Wendy Idle, Times [UK]"A moving and important movie about the healing power of empathy in the continuing Israeli-Palestinian conflict."Frederic and Mary Ann Brussat, Spirituality and Practice | | Synopsis:Directed by Eran Riklis, Lemon Tree stars Hiam Abbass (who was wonderful in The Visitor) as Salma Zidane, a 40-something Palestinian widow who makes a meagre living from her beloved lemon grove, on the border between Israel and the West Bank. However, when the Israeli Defense Minister (Doron Tavory) moves into the house next door, his security team are quick to point out that terrorists could hide in the trees, so the Minister orders that the lemon grove be cut down.
Horrified at the Minister’s decision, Salma enlists the aid of Ziad Daud (Ali Suliman), a young Palestinian lawyer, and together they take the case all the way to the Israeli Supreme Court to try and protect the trees. Meanwhile, Salma finds both an unexpected ally in the Minister’s lonely wife, Mira (Rona Lipaz-Michael) and an even more unexpected romance with Ziad.
Hiam Abbass is fantastic as Salma, maintaining a quiet dignity throughout her ordeal that is extraordinarily powerful – the expression on her face will stay with you long after you leave the cinema and if there were any justice, she’d get an Oscar nomination. There’s also strong support from Rona Lipaz-Michael, who’s able to say more with a single, understated glance than most actresses manage with three pages of dialogue.
In other hands, Lemon Tree could have devolved into heavy-handed allegory and it’s to Riklis’ credit that this never happens. In addition, he orchestrates some genuinely moving scenes and some extremely suspenseful sequences; he also deserves extra credit for the unexpected way he ends the tale.
– Matthew Turner, ViewLondon | |
|  |  | |  | | Lemon Tree~ Winner ~ Berlin Film Festival ~ Audience Award 
Country: | Israel/Germany/France | | Language: | In Arabic, Hebrew, English and French with English subtitles | | Cast: | Hiam Abbass, Ali Suliman, Doron Tavory, Rona Lipaz-Michael | | Directed by: | Eran Riklis | | OFRB Rating: | PG; Mature Theme, Subtitled | | Runtime: | 106 minutes | | Show Dates: | Not Scheduled | | |
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