Cast overview, first billed only: | |||
Hiam Abbass | ... | Salma Zidane | |
![]() |
Rona Lipaz-Michael | ... | Mira Navon |
Ali Suliman | ... | Ziad Daud | |
Doron Tavory | ... | Defense Minister Israel Navon | |
Tarik Kopty | ... | Abu Hussam (as Tarik Copti) | |
Amos Lavi | ... | Commander Jacob (as Amos Lavie) | |
Amnon Wolf | ... | Leibowitz | |
![]() |
Liron Baranes | ... | Gilad |
![]() |
Smadar Jaaron | ... | Tamar Gera (as Smadar Yaaron) |
![]() |
Danny Leshman | ... | Private Itamar 'Quickie' |
Ayelet Robinson | ... | Shelly | |
Amos Tamam | ... | Simon Hasson | |
Loai Nofi | ... | Nasser Zidane (as Loai Noufi) | |
Hili Yalon | ... | Sigi Navon | |
Makram Khoury | ... | Abu Kamal (as Makram J. Khoury) |
Salma Zidane, a widow, lives simply from her grove of lemon trees in the West Bank's occupied territory. The Israeli defense minister and his wife move next door; the Secret Service orders the trees removed for security. The stoic Salma seeks assistance from the Palestinian Authority (useless), Israeli army (dismissive), and a young attorney, Ziad Daud, who takes the case; this older client attracts him. While the courts deliberate, the Israelis fence her trees and prohibit her from entering the grove. As the trees wither, the defense minister's wife and, separately, an Israeli journalist, look on Salma with sympathy. In this allegory, does David stand a chance against Goliath? Written by <jhailey@hotmail.com>
This movie is available here since April 23rd, people are queuing to see it and nevertheless, nobody shows up with a comment. LA VISITE DE LA FANFARE, also an Israeli film deserving to be called "a shake-hands tentative with a neighbor country" was nice, but the characters did not look Egyptian to me (and I've seen quite a lot of Egyptians in my life).LEMON TREE is perhaps a true story, although I don't believe it. It is however one of the most valuable attempts to show the unsolvable problem existing between two nations who have been fighting for more than 60 years to find a solution of cohabitation. The situation: an Israeli prominent figure (Minister of Defense, not less) has built himself a house next to a field of lemon trees owned by a Palestinian widow. The Army (I hate the word Tsahal, doesn't sound congenial to me) has no other solution than to erase the whole field, otherwise a Kamikaze fighter may find a base for throwing dangerous warfare. The case is brought to the Supreme Court of Israel, which comes to a solution supposed to satisfy everybody and constitute a large step towards a better understanding. Go and see this movie, and tell me if the "verdict"
is not another rendition of the famous King Solomon judgement. You won't regret it, because the movie is excellent. I'll tell you no more. Harry Carasso, Paris, France