Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by dave c (A) on July 17, 2008 at 14:36:31

Teis screened last night at the launch of the 2008 Brisbane International Film Festival which opens in around 2 weeks (so expect some reviews of films NO ONE has seen including a new one from David Mamet).
Lemon Tree concerns a Palestinian woman working her lemon grove when the Israeli defence minister moves next door.
Security implications (real and assumed) come into play and the real and surreal aspects of the fear that the Jewish Israelis have of the Arabs fall upon all involved.
This film has its heart in the right place, but is a bit... trite... no, a bit soap opera-ish, perhaps, a bit soppy at times.
Not that it is without its good points.
Nicely shot contrasting the lifestyles of the main characters and using the Separation Wall (if you don't know you'll have to research that) as a metaphor... actually it isn't a metaphor... it's plain REAL!
It manages to jolt assumptions about both sides and regardless of where your sympathies lie and is a very human film regardless of the reservations I have about it.
We don't often get a glimpse of these aspects of this most serious of problems and I recommend it without making HUGE claims for it.
Check the following review from Israel:

• http://www.israelenews.com/view.asp?ID=1705   (Open in New Window)