Etz Limon (Lemon Tree) (2008)

92% of critics liked it
(66 reviews)
78% of users liked it
(4,688 ratings)

Widow and empty nester Salma Zidane lives on the Palestinian West Bank, in a little house flanked by lemon trees planted by her great grand parents. Unfortunately, when the Israeli minister of defense builds a house adjacent to her own, her lemon trees are deemed a security risk. Salma hires a… More Widow and empty nester Salma Zidane lives on the Palestinian West Bank, in a little house flanked by lemon trees planted by her great grand parents. Unfortunately, when the Israeli minister of defense builds a house adjacent to her own, her lemon trees are deemed a security risk. Salma hires a lawyer to prevent the powerful man from having her ancestral trees removed, but the odds are stacked against her, and to make matters worse, she begins to fall in love with her lawyer. Things seem bleak, but it looks like hope could shine in from an unexpected source, when the minister's neglected wife develops sympathy for Salma's plight. ~ Cammila Albertson, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: Unrated, 1 hr. 46 min.
Directed By: Eran Riklis
Written By: Suha Arraf, Eran Riklis
Genres: Drama, Romance, Art House & International

In Theaters: Apr 17, 2009 Wide
On DVD: Nov 3, 2009
Studio: IFC

Critic Reviews

Jonathan F. Richards, Film.com
Eran Riklis, who directed and co-wrote with Suha Arraf (they also collaborated on The Syrian Bride), has made a compelling movie that takes its strength from the ground-level picture it gives of the human aspect of the problems in that part of the world.
Andrea Gronvall, Chicago Reader
The two Israelis who take her side are female, which underscores the film's message: a little less machismo might save a lot more than trees.
Tom Long, Detroit News
This is a film about a problem, not a solution, and it's effectively upsetting.
Walter V. Addiego, San Francisco Chronicle
The story, based on a real incident, may be simplistic, but that's the nature of fables. The direction is sure-handed, and the acting is good, particularly by the very appealing Abbass.
Colin Covert, Minneapolis Star Tribune
Lemon Tree offers the bittersweet satisfaction of understanding a thorny situation a bit better. In a uniformly strong cast, Hiam Abbass is outstanding as the proud, lovely Salma.
Robert Abele, Los Angeles Times
A sober-hearted take on the righteous blowback from whittled-away souls, and a movie that invariably rights itself with each return to the beautifully steely gaze of Abbass.
Don Groves, sbs.com.au
A touching tale of forbidden fruit in the Middle East.
Kam Williams, Sly Fox
If only every Arab-Israeli conflict could be resolved simply by resorting to Biblical wisdom rather than with bullets and bombs!
Enrique Buchichio, Uruguay Total
En general no me gusta decir que una película es "necesaria" (un facilismo rimbombante en el que suelen caer muchos críticos), pero en este caso debo hacer una excepción.
Brandon Judell, CultureCatch
Abbass's starkly moving performance and the film's closing shots make this metaphor for the unsolvable unforgettable.
Keith Cohen, Entertainment Spectrum
The vivid cinematography gives the viewer glimpses of scenic locations throughout Israel. This is a quiet and somber journey that allows lots of time for thought and reflection on the current state of affairs in the Middle East.
Robert W. Butler, Kansas City Star
While the entire cast is very good, Abbass must carry most of the film, with little dialogue. Her subtly expressive face is a script unto itself, conveying everything from formal, traditional modesty to angry defiance.
Frank Swietek, One Guy's Opinion
Has a distinct point of view on the Israeli-Palestinian impasse, but expresses it with considerable finesse as well as emotional power.
Michael Sragow, Baltimore Sun
The sensuousness of Lemon Tree is its glory.
Rob Thomas, Capital Times (Madison, WI)
Writer-director Eran Riklis handles these questions subtly and thoughtfully, tying the little struggle over the trees to larger issues without turning "Lemon Tree" into a parable.
Sarah Boslaugh, Playback:stl
It's worth seeing Lemon Tree simply for the performance of Hiam Abbass, who is magnificent in her dignity and determination.
Stan Hall, Oregonian
The Lemon Tree has a big plot hole that's overcome by both Abbass' efforts and the story's tone: dramatic but frustrated and slyly deadpan at heart.
Jeff Vice, Deseret News, Salt Lake City
Being dry is not necessarily a bad thing for a movie, at least when that dryness includes humor. But Lemon Tree is too dour and too humorless for its own good.
Joe Williams, St. Louis Post-Dispatch
The pungence of Lemon Tree is in the surreal moments that capture the pervasive unease in Gaza, and in the quiet strength of Abbass' performance.
Chris Hewitt (St. Paul), St. Paul Pioneer Press
It's not fantastic, but if you like Abbass in The Visitor, she's even better here.

Read all 20 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Luke B

A story of pride and principal. A Palestinian woman's lemons come into harms way when an Israeli politician moves in next door. It's almost like one of those stories where neighbors go mental at the size of each others trees. The only difference being, here there are far… More
A story of pride and principal. A Palestinian woman's lemons come into harms way when an Israeli politician moves in next door. It's almost like one of those stories where neighbors go mental at the size of each others trees. The only difference being, here there are far more complex and interesting political issues at hand. The film is a moving testament to those that cannot be bought. The parallel story of the wife of the politician, sympathetic to the cause of the Palestinian woman is also a nice companion story that adds to the main narrative. The film does tend to trip over itself when it comes to the politics. It is far too concerned with portraying any character, against the protagonist, in a villainous light. The defense minister comes off as callous and careless while his secret service just seem incompetently paranoid. All this is at the expense of a sweet love story blossoming between the woman and her newly appointed lawyer.
Mark A

A most infuriating film, pitting a Palestinian widow against the security forces of the Israeli defense minister whose family has moved in next door. Not only does the widow, Salma Zidane (Hiam Abbass), have to contend with Israeli bureaucracy and the Israeli justice system that is… More
A most infuriating film, pitting a Palestinian widow against the security forces of the Israeli defense minister whose family has moved in next door. Not only does the widow, Salma Zidane (Hiam Abbass), have to contend with Israeli bureaucracy and the Israeli justice system that is arrayed against her, but she must also defend her honor with her Palestinian neighbors, who do nothing to lift a finger to help her in her struggle. The bone of contention is the lemon grove which lies between the adjacent properties and is judged to be a potential haven for terrorists. That the grove is the legacy which Salma received from her father, has stood for over fifty years and provides her sole source of income, the wheels of justice slowly grind her down. She is aided in her fight by an idealistic young lawyer, Ziad Daud (Ali Suliman). The defense minister's wife, played by Romna Lipaz-Michael, is Salma's silent ally, but she, too, is powerless to offer any real aid. The cast is superb, and the script sparse, but together they clearly convey the frustration and futility experienced by the Palestinian people. The final scene leaves one feeling hollow. A terrific look from another perspective at the human tragedy of the Arab-Israeli conflict.
Walter M

[font=Century Gothic]Most homeowners would love to have a lemon grove overlooking their property but the one in "The Lemon Tree" is in the West Bank and is owned by Salma Zidane(Hiam Abbass), a widow. On the other side of the border in Israel, the new defense minister… More
[font=Century Gothic]Most homeowners would love to have a lemon grove overlooking their property but the one in "The Lemon Tree" is in the West Bank and is owned by Salma Zidane(Hiam Abbass), a widow. On the other side of the border in Israel, the new defense minister Israel Tavon(Doron Tavory) has moved in with his wife Mira(Rona Lipaz-Michael). Fearing potential terrorists hiding themselves in the trees, he orders them removed. To Salma, who barely makes any money off the lemons, it is a point of pride since the trees have been in her family for the past fifty years and she hires a young lawyer, Ziad(Ali Suliman), to bring the case to court. They lose the first round but appeal to the Supreme Court.[/font] [font=Century Gothic][/font] [font=Century Gothic]"The Lemon Tree" is a deceptively and quietly devastating movie that works on multiple levels to dissect life in the West Bank and Israel, most importantly on a personal level with performances to match. It is a movie that calls for peace, showing a different way to fight a battle than violence in a land full of missed opportunities for communication. The new security wall is only a part of this problem. This is also a movie that is set in societies that are both dominated by men, focusing on two lonely women, both who also have grown children living in Washington, DC. I know. I know. What are the odds? Look at it this way. Hypothetically, their paths might never cross in their home countries but the potential is definitely there in the United States. Just don't pay any attention to the middle-aged white guy who is screaming all the time. [/font]
Nicolas K

A small film with a big heart and a great performance validated by a Palestinian winning Israel's version of the Best Actress Oscar.
Leo L

Intriguing movie! Here is a drama that centralizes around a lonely woman and her lemon grove. When her new neighbors arrive, the grove is a threat and must be cleared. Salma simply refuses because the grove has been in her family, passed through generations. She fights to keep them,… More
Intriguing movie! Here is a drama that centralizes around a lonely woman and her lemon grove. When her new neighbors arrive, the grove is a threat and must be cleared. Salma simply refuses because the grove has been in her family, passed through generations. She fights to keep them, but also finds love. Great performance by Hiam Abbass. Worth seeing!
Daisy M

The Lemon Tree is a drama which will move many viewers. The story is about people living in both sides of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.This is all about human drama, about their belief and will. The two main characters are women who are imprisoned within the patriot… More
The Lemon Tree is a drama which will move many viewers. The story is about people living in both sides of Israel and the occupied Palestinian territory.This is all about human drama, about their belief and will. The two main characters are women who are imprisoned within the patriot world of Jewish Israeli society and Muslim Palestinian, both fight to find their voice, their space and their lives. It's about the barriers that both have to face, about the walls being put up between people. Almost all the characters of the film are imprisoned by the circumstances of their life and history in one way or another. Personally I don't know much about this conflict, but I felt this film had much to say. The inner conflicts were very well brought out Good film..