Salma Zidane, a widow, lives simply from her grove of lemon trees in the West Bank's occupied territory. The Israeli defence minister and his wife move next door, forcing the Secret Service to order the trees' removal for security. The stoic Salma seeks assistance from the Palestinian Authority, Israeli army, and a young attorney, Ziad Daud, who takes the case. In this allegory, does David stand a chance against Goliath?
Acting
Hiam Abbass says everything with her jawline and silence.
Direction
Riklis turns a fence into a character with more nuance than most leads.
Cinematography
Lemon groves shot likeEden under siege—gorgeous and doomed.
Director
Eran Riklis
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
Based loosely on real events—Israeli-Palestinian farmers have faced actual tree demolitions for 'security zones.' The lemon tree as symbol predates this film by centuries in regional poetry.
Riklis deliberately cast Hiam Abbass after seeing her in 'The Syrian Bride'—her ability to convey massive interior life through minimal dialogue became the film's entire emotional architecture.
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