Lemon Tree

Palestinian actress Hiam Abbass shines in this tale that puts a human face on Israeli-Palestinian politics. Salma, a Palestinian widow who has been peacefully tending her lemon trees for years, suddenly risks losing them when a new neighbor moves in next door. It seems her trees are located on the green-line border between Israel and the West Bank, and her new neighbor is the Israeli minister of defense, who feels nervous at the thought of potential security hazards lurking in the groves. As she faces eviction and the removal of her beloved trees, Salma becomes outraged, challenging the security order in court. With the help of an unlikely ally in the minister's wife, she takes her fight all the way to the High Court of Justice. Eras Riklis, whose 2004 film “The Syrian Bride” was an equally nuanced international hit, says of his film, “I think people want to go beyond the news headlines and see into the psyche of the people… We tried to make a film showing the point of view from the humans on both sides.” LEMON TREE is an optimistic film about justice and passion. (In Arabic, Hebrew and English with subtitles) – B.B.