by Erin McGee

The Israeli Palestinian conflict has reappeared in headlines this week in the form of Donald Trump, who has expressed his indifference and neutrality towards the topic. This is a clear example of a commodification of tragedy, when this issue is revived as yet another “Dim-Witted Donald” sketch on the 2016 Presidential Election show, instead of looking at the lives of those affected. Lemon Tree attempts to take the viewer and shake them out of the desensitisation that comes with modern media, forcing a consideration of the people behind the headlines.

Directed by Eran Riklis, the story follows a humble Palestinian widow, Salma (Hiam Abbass), who owns and tends to the lemon grove outsider of her home. When Defense Minister Israel Navon (Doron Tavori) becomes her neighbour and the Secret Service decides that the grove is a potential security risk, there is a motion to have the trees torn down. As a result, Salma seeks legal action in order to maintain her livelihood and family tradition.

Abbass’ performance manages to balance the expressive and the understated – the stoic and the vulnerable. As she affects the lives of those around her with her story and determination, the deeper themes come to light. However, the character would not have as much of a dramatic impact if it were not for the equally captivating Minister’s wife Mira (Rona Lipaz-Michael) and the silent mutual respect between the pair. It would be incorrect to categorise this film as merely about the Israeli Palestinian conflict; it is equally about the modern world, and the impact that a single life can have on it. Riklis’ triumph here is his ability to weave the two narratives together – creating both a simple and intimate story of a woman fighting her adversary, and a complex political conflict. This is effortlessly achieved through the inclusion of global media, the camera angles which toy with distance, and the shifting between locations. The rich symbolism furthers this idea, such as the not particularly inconspicuous fence that divides the two women. Perhaps the film does not offer anything particularly original, but what it does offer is a valid reminder that these are not circumstances that exist in a vacuum but, in fact, real people existing within them.

[imdb id=tt1172963]