Lemon Tree
Brief Synopsis
Cast & Crew
Eran Riklis
Hiam Abbass
Ali Suliman
Rona Lipaz-michael
Doron Tavori
Tarik Copty
Film Details
Technical Specs
Synopsis
Salma Zidane lives in a tiny Palestinian village on the West Bank. She is 45 years old and a widow. Her children have left home, and she is alone. When the Israeli minister of defense builds a house on the other side of the green line, Selma's lemon trees come to the attention of his bodyguards. Her trees are a security risk. They can hide terrorists and impede the bodyguards in their work. In any case, these Palestinian lemon trees simply get in the way of the powerful Minister's superior security needs. The lemon trees were planted by Salma's family many generations ago--they are synonymous with Salma's family history. Salma gets herself a lawyer. But Ziad Daud is up against a battery of clever military lawyers, all of whom are covered by the top brass. It's an unfair battle, that isn't made any easier when the 45-year-old widow falls in love with her lawyer, a divorcee ten years her junior--a scandal as far as her Palestinian neighbors are concerned. On the other side of the grove, Salma's struggle to keep her trees has not gone unnoticed. The defence minister's wife, who has become more and more lonely and unhappy as her husband's political career has blossomed, feels increasingly drawn to Salma as the unfair battle between her husband and their Palestinian neighbors drags on. An invisible bond connects these two very different women who find themselves on the brink of a new phase in their lives.
Director
Eran Riklis
Cast
Hiam Abbass
Ali Suliman
Rona Lipaz-michael
Doron Tavori
Tarik Copty
Makram J. Khoury
Amos Lavie
Amnon Wolf
Smadar Yaaron
Liron Baranes
Ayelet Robinson
Danny Leshman
Loai Nofi
Hili Yalon
Michael Warshaviak
Tarak Kopty
Crew
Suha Arraf
Tova Ascher
Bettina Brokemper
Herve Buirette
Antoine De Clermont-tonnerre
Rona Doron
Michael Eckelt
Leon Edery
Moshe Edery
Michal Engel
Rainer Klausmann
Miguel Merkin
Ashi Milo
Eran Riklis
Eran Riklis
Ira Riklis
Marcia Riklis
Habib Shehadeh Hanna
David Silber
Gil Toren
Film Details
Technical Specs
Quotes
Trivia
Miscellaneous Notes
Winner of the Award to the European Film at the 2008 San Sebastian International Film Festival.
Winner of the Panorama Audience Award at the 2008 Berlin International Film Festival.
Released in United States Spring April 17, 2009
Released in United States May 1, 2009
Released in United States on Video November 3, 2009
Released in United States 2008
Released in United States February 2008
Released in United States June 2008
Released in United States September 2008
Released in United States October 2008
Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival (Cinema of Our Time) September 25-October 10, 2008.
Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (Panorama Special) February 7-17, 2008.
Shown at Edinburgh International Film Festival (Directors' Showcase) June 18-29, 2008.
Shown at San Sebastian International Film Festival (Zabaltegi-Pearls) September 18-27, 2008.
Shown at Hamptons International Film Festival (Spotlight) October 15-19, 2008.
Shown at Chicago International Film Festival (Main Competition) October 16-29, 2008.
Released in United States Spring April 17, 2009
Released in United States May 1, 2009 (Los Angeles)
Released in United States on Video November 3, 2009
Released in United States 2008 (Shown at Vancouver International Film Festival (Cinema of Our Time) September 25-October 10, 2008.)
Released in United States February 2008 (Shown at Berlin International Film Festival (Panorama Special) February 7-17, 2008.)
Released in United States June 2008 (Shown at Edinburgh International Film Festival (Directors' Showcase) June 18-29, 2008.)
Released in United States October 2008 (Shown at Chicago International Film Festival (Main Competition) October 16-29, 2008. )
Released in United States October 2008 (Shown at Hamptons International Film Festival (Spotlight) October 15-19, 2008.)
Released in United States September 2008 (Shown at San Sebastian International Film Festival (Zabaltegi-Pearls) September 18-27, 2008.)
