Growing between the Noise, Analysis of Eran Riklis’ Lemon Tree

by Thomas Winegarden

Lemon Tree is a drama film directed by Eran Riklis. The film itself is based on similar events involving Israel’s former Minister of Defense Shaul Mofaz. However, the film follows the perspective of an Palestinian widow, Salma Zidane, and her struggle to resist the seizure of her lemon grove by Israeli authorities. Salma is paralleled by the Minister’s wife, Nora Navon, throughout the film. Allowing the audience to witness the relationship between the two women who live yards apart, and exist in dramatically different socio-political spheres. Doing so Riklis creates a political symbolic film regarding the daily lives of Palestinian citizens and others in the middle east in light of the political conflicts, which he accomplishes by employing symbolism with the characters and the lemon grove itself. 

Salma and Mira, play symbolic roles that allow Riklis to use the narrative as a political allegory. Salma, a palestinian widow, is representative of the larger palestine and the grief that palestinians have had to endure. Mira, in contrast, is symbolic of a national Israel identity, and represents empathy in the face of conflict. This is best exemplified in the scene where Salma discovers Israeli soldiers picking lemons, from her seized grove, for the Minister’s party. When first witnessing the theft Salma shouts “What are you doing? Who let you into my grove?” (Riklis, 2008, 01:02:28). Following this Salma proceeds to throw lemons at the Minister and his wife while demanding they leave. Mira simply replies “We just wanted a few lemons, I’m sorry” (Riklis, 2008, 01:03:38). Here the audience witnesses the direct confrontation between the two women, and symbolically the interaction between Palestine and Israel. Which exhibited political underpinnings, as Salma’s pleas could be applied more broadly to those suffering due to the territorial conflict without dehumanizing her opposition. 

The lemon grove itself is also used as a tool of political symbolism to represent the loss of tradition and culture. Although a physical space, the grove holds a greater cultural and emotional significance. In one aspect it represents lineage and family tradition, as Salma inherited it from her father. With the seizure of the grove representing the loss of homeland experienced by Palestinians, who are forced to give up physical space and the attachment to it. In another aspect the lemon grove is broadly symbolic of Palestinian culture and socitey which has been subjected to great upheaval from Israel expansion. As citrus and the citrus industry is a big aspect of Palestinian national identity. This is best visualized in the film in the scenes of Salma entering the gated grove, which occurs on multiple occasions, only to be subjected to the orders of an Israeli soldier standing watch. Symbolizing the emotional turmoil over the loss of homeland and identity. 

The portrayal of Salma’s struggles and the relationship with Mira serves as a testament to the experiences of individuals who are impacted from the loss of home and tradition. By understanding Salma as a symbolic Palestine and Mira as a symbolic Israel, the audience is able to empathize and humanize the conflict on both sides. Riklis is able to achieve this political allegory film relating to the Israel-Palestine conflict only by employing symbolism with the characters and the lemon grove, which expresses impact on the daily lives of Palestinians and other individuals who are subject to conflict. 

Works Cited: 

Lemon Tree. Directed by Eran Riklis, Written by Suha Arraf and Eran Riklis , 2008. 

Lemon tree: the Intersection of Nature and Politics

By: Sam Sastro

Lemon Tree (2008) is a film directed by Eran Riklis. Riklis is an Israeli director, and the film combines both nature and politics to provide a unique perspective on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Salma is the main protagonist of the film and is a Palestinian, while her next-door neighbor is the Israeli minister of defense who lives with his wife Mira. Relationships between the two women are developed subtly through the conflict and represents how nature can act as a barrier in relation to both aiding and causing conflicts in political discourse. 

The threat of nature can be representative of a fear of the unknown and how uncontrollable aspects cause fear and anxiety to the Israelis even through they are only a few yards away. The conflict is represented in the film and juxtaposes man-made structures such as guard towers, walls, and armed guards with nature and a single woman who is trying to preserve her land. The contrast of these two aspects can be related to culture and modernity.  The support system that Mira had such as her lawyer Ziad, children and other onlookers of the conflict felt connection to the Lemon Trees and the patch. However, when being broadcasted by the Israelis, the urge and the importance created heightened levels of anxiety that dangers lie in the vast lemon trees and pose an imminent threat to Israeli security. 

Politics in the film are highlighted by Salma’s lengthy efforts to try and defend her homeland. Her first offer to settle and compromise was for her to get rid of her trees. However, standing her ground both figuratively and literally escalates the situation and represents into a politically charged conflict on a smaller scale: Mira’s homeland of Palestine to her is her family’s home. Riklis emphasized these trees as not only being part of Mira’s homeland however also being passed down by her late father and how these lemon trees represent her family lineage. Nature and the symbolism through roots and stems are representative of not only Salma’s struggles throughout the film however representative of the shared collective trauma of Palestinians through their history with occupation. 

Although the film is an intimate take on the Israel-Palestine conflict, the plot and politics can be simplified to an underdog story which have the audience anticipating the ending if Mira will win her “battle” and successfully defend her homeland, her family, and her identity. Potential relationships arise as the wife of the minister, Mira travels through the trees to meet her neighbor to talk. However, they never speak, the effort and the harmless journey to her neighbor’s house show the harmlessness and the beauty in the lemon trees that Riklis captures throughout the film. 

The last shot of the movie is the barren field that once housed hundreds of lemon trees separated by a steel wall and now uprooted trees, representative of Salma’s loss in the trial. The implication of nature being the threat is proven wrong with this shot. The desolate nothingness shown implies no “threats” that the Minister Navon implied. The film juxtaposes the Israel and the Palestine border by showing the backyard of the minister followed by his garden and Salma’s backyard. Although hopeful in the context that the trees could grow again as the roots and stems are still intact, the film Lemon Tree shows how nature can be used as a threat in the political sphere.

Works Cited

Riklis, E. (Director). (2008, March 27). Lemon Tree [Film]. IFC Films.