Lemon Tree is set on both lines of the green line border between Israeli and the West Bank.When the newly-appointed defense minister Israel Navon(Doron Tavory)moves in a house which is on the border,the Israeli secret service sees the neighboring lemon grove as a threat to the defense minister and her wife so it is militarily decreed that all the lemon trees be uprooted arguing that the grove could be used as a hiding point to realize a terroristic attack.On the other hand,the owner of the grove,Salma(Hiam Abbass)inherited the grove from his late father and she thinks no money could compensate the loss.So,she sues the minister with the help of the lawyer Ziad Daud (Ali Suliman). When she loses the case in the court she takes it to the Supreme Court and sets a precedent.
The movie is based on a real life incident.In 2006 while acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the cutting down of Palestinian olive trees a "criminal act" that needed to be treated with "full force", ironically the security forces began cutting down the olive trees near the house of Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, the depicted minister in the movie. Eran Riklis does not take sides as an Israeli filmmaker. His movie superbly juxtaposes the hypocrisy of Israeli authorities and the corruptness of Palestinian authorities.For instance,when Salma tries to bring her case,which is newly beginning to get media attention, to the presence of the president, her efforts are met by the answer:"But the President is always busy." Along with talebearers who speak ill off her closeness with her lawyer,things get tougher for Salma. Hiam Abbass does a great job in portraying a Palestinian widow who is torn apart between her 10-year loneliness,her helplessness and the temporary affection of somebody she barely knows.I've watched her in Paradise Now (2005)and The Visitor (2008) before and I think she is really doing better. Rona Lipaz-Michael as the wife of the defense minister who forges a sweet humanistic bond with the widow is no slouch at doing the job either. Those two lead the movie but you just find yourself feeling a natural sympathy to almost every character somehow. In a world of too much blood and too much politics movies like ETZ LIMON serves a great purpose!
The movie is based on a real life incident.In 2006 while acting Prime Minister Ehud Olmert called the cutting down of Palestinian olive trees a "criminal act" that needed to be treated with "full force", ironically the security forces began cutting down the olive trees near the house of Israeli Defense Minister Shaul Mofaz, the depicted minister in the movie. Eran Riklis does not take sides as an Israeli filmmaker. His movie superbly juxtaposes the hypocrisy of Israeli authorities and the corruptness of Palestinian authorities.For instance,when Salma tries to bring her case,which is newly beginning to get media attention, to the presence of the president, her efforts are met by the answer:"But the President is always busy." Along with talebearers who speak ill off her closeness with her lawyer,things get tougher for Salma. Hiam Abbass does a great job in portraying a Palestinian widow who is torn apart between her 10-year loneliness,her helplessness and the temporary affection of somebody she barely knows.I've watched her in Paradise Now (2005)and The Visitor (2008) before and I think she is really doing better. Rona Lipaz-Michael as the wife of the defense minister who forges a sweet humanistic bond with the widow is no slouch at doing the job either. Those two lead the movie but you just find yourself feeling a natural sympathy to almost every character somehow. In a world of too much blood and too much politics movies like ETZ LIMON serves a great purpose!