A small dispute over a lemon grove leads to a tense international conflict when Navon (Doron Tavory), an Israeli defense minister orders Salma (Hiam Abbass), a Palestinian widow, to vacate the land her family has harvested for over 50 years.  Unwilling to be bullied by a figure of patriarchal political power, Salma takes her plight to the public through the judicial system and the media.  During her crusade Salma wins over an unlikely ally, Navon’s wife, Mira (Rona Lipaz-Michael).

Beneath this tense drama dealing with cultural and familial tensions is a geo-political parable that addresses intolerance, terrorism, and the position of women in the Middle East.  At the same time, LEMON TREE is completely engaging (the film won the Audience Award at the Berlin Film Festival) by striking a balance between the political and the personal.  Aided by a magnificent cast, Riklis humanizes a brutal 60 year-old conflict with understanding, poise, and grace.  Derek Elley of VARIETY champions LEMON TREE for its “rare ability to make intelligent, entertaining cinema from hot-button current issues” and describes the film as “a multifaceted drama straddling the Palestinian-Israeli chasm that’s marbled with irony, generosity, anger and pure crowd-pleasing optimism.”

Schedule:
Friday, May 29, 9:00pm
Saturday, May 30, 4:00pm & 8:30pm
Sunday, May 31, 2:00pm & 6:30pm
Friday, June 5, 7:00pm
Saturday, June 6, 6:00pm
Sunday, June 7, 4:00pm & 8:30pm