Lemon Tree

Salma Zidane is a humble widow that lives alone and works on her lemon grove.

Mira Navon is the wife of the minister of Defense; she is rich and constantly surrounded by people.

Salma is Palestinian and Mira is Jewish.

The relationship of these two women is explained in the movie in seconds. Subtle moments where the

intertwining of two opposite worlds is created by a deep stare.

The movie Lemon Tree tells the journey of Salma in order to keep her grove, after the security team of the Minister of Defense deems it “too dangerous”. It shows us the bias ways of the Israeli government and it gives us a glimpse towards the culture that surrounds the Palestinian people.

For Salma the salvation of her grove does not only mean the safekeeping of the legacy of her family, but also an opportunity to take back control of the life that had become monotonous. She challenges the culture that she is immersed in by making the decisions that may seem silly and disrespectful to the ones surrounding her. Ignoring the headscarf, inviting a man to her house and starting a romantic relationship while being a widow, are some ways that she rebels to the world surrounding her.

For Mira , she is hit with the reality of the world surrounding her for the first time. She sees the true intentions and values of a husband that she used to admire. And she sees herself reflected in Salma’s life.

Both woman are lonely and desperate to find the meaning of life in the situations that they have come in contact with. Their children are away and the husbands are absent, with the conflict of the grove comes an opportunity for two women from complete different backgrounds to come together and share moments of understanding, coming together and crossing the borders of a society separated by hate and differences.