Features: DVD
Editor's Note
The conflict between Israel and Palestine is filtered through a deeply personal tale in this impressive feature from writer/director Eran Riklis. Salma Zidane (Hiam Abbass) is a lonely Palestinian widow who runs a beautiful lemon grove. But she faces trouble when the Israeli defense minister, Israel Navon (Doron Tavory), moves into her neighborhood, and his secret service agents request the destruction of the grove. The agents believe that terrorists could easily hide out in the trees and threaten the minister, so there is a court case to remove the trees. Devastated by the potential loss, Zidane hires a lawyer and takes the case to the Supreme Court, while Navon?s wife, Mira (Rona Lipaz-Michael), complicates matters by feeling sympathy for her new neighbor's plight. Riklis?s movie is downbeat and thoughtful and provides a satisfying follow-up to his acclaimed 2004 feature, THE SYRIAN BRIDE. At the heart of the picture are two isolated women, Zidane and the minister?s wife, who feel drawn to one another despite the vast difference in their circumstances. Although the two characters barely share any scenes, Riklis deftly illustrates how they are both in opposition to the values held by Navon and his administration. The lemon grove is cleverly employed as a device that represents the vast chasm between Israel and Palestine, and the film carefully includes a broad range of characters, including the lecherous minister, some oafish soldiers, and the sad-eyed Zidane. The movie is beautifully shot, although Riklis carefully avoids turning it into a feel-good feature, instead using THE LEMON TREE as a parable that examines the stark contrasts on the West Bank in the early part of the 21st century.
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