Lemon Tree (film)

Lemon Tree Arabic Hebrew Etz Limon is a 2008 Israeli drama film directed by Eran Riklis and codirected by his cousin Ira Riklis. It stars Hiam Abbass, Ali Suliman, Danny Leshman, Rona LipazMichael, Tarik Kopty, Amos Lavi, Lana Zreik and Amnon Wolf. The film describes the legal efforts of a Palestinian widow to stop the Israeli Defense Minister, her next door neighbor, from destroying the lemon trees in her family farm. At the same time, she develops a human bond with the ministers wife. It was released in Israel onMarch 2008, and it received a tepid response from Israeli audiences. It was released internationally through IFC Films onApril 2009. From there, the film has achieved critical success and it has received nominations for several awards such as Best Actress and Best Screenwriter at the European Film Awards.

Salma feels isolated given that her son has moved to Washington, D.C. and her daughters are now married. The local village elder Abu Kamal Makram Khoury advises her to give in, but Salma decides to work with the young lawyer Ziad Daud Ali Suliman. They take their case all the way to the Supreme Court. Mira Navon Rona LipazMichael, the ministers wife, sympathizes with Salma. The court case receives notable media attention, and Mira gives a news interview that her husband regrets. Mira believes that the Israeli military overreacted, and she also shares Salmas sense of personal loneliness. A complex, though not always evident, human bond develops between the two women. As the Palestinian cause is dismissed, Mira moves out, and a concrete wall is built between Salmas land and the Defense Ministers house. A final camera shot reveals the lemon trees to have been cut down.Director Eran Riklis covered personal relationships between Arabs and Middle Eastern Jews in his previous films The Syrian Bride and Cup Final. The former film, which also starred Hiam Abbass, achieved widespread success in Israel as well as with international audiences after its 2004 release. This boosted Rikliss expectations for the future. ........

Source: Wikipedia