Lemon Tree

aka: Etz Limon
Israel 2008, 106 minutes
Dir. Eran Riklis
In Arabic with English subtitles
Rating: [G]
Genres: Foreign Cinema, Drama

Topics: Indigenous & Minority Cultures.

Feat. Hiam Abbass, Doron Tavory, Ali Suliman, Rona Lipaz-Michael

Aroview: An out-of-bounds lemon tree poses as a metaphorical olive branch in this heartfelt Israeli-Palestinian fable.

When a Palestinian (Abbas) is informed that her lemon grove (and livelihood) must be removed as a threat to Israeli border security, the plucky widow defies the order and hires an attorney to press her case. There’s little else to the film storywise, yet its simplicity and sensitivity towards both Israel and the West Bank – as well as a mild feminist streak in the form of its atypical protagonist – make it a hugely likeable, quietly political watch.