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Lemon Tree Despotism

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The cinematic experience of the action-drama films Lemon Tree and Paradise Now showcase the struggles and hardships familiar to Palestinians living in the 21st century. While each film portrays a particular storyline, the two ultimately reveal similarities in severe long-standing despotism, and harassment. This is due in part to the implementation Israeli presence, who’re slowly shown to become the dominating figurehead throughout Palestine – later known as Israel. The oppressive culture displayed throughout Lemon Tree and Paradise Now leads the Palestinians counterparts in both films to be sequestered towards their societal disadvantages; Lemon Tree depicts the injustices of Palestinian minorities, while Paradise Now illustrates the internalized …show more content…

While Salma initially leads a solitary, quiet life, this turn of events conjures her to defend the rights to her lemon grove by taking her case all the way to the Israeli Supreme Court; ultimately becoming the center of Israeli media. While the final jurisdiction proclaims Salma has absolutely no rights to her lemon trees, the defiance she protrudes implements her willingness to continue fighting for what truly belongs to her. A common theme throughout Lemon Tree is the Israeli government’s notion to take whatever isn’t theirs, for the sole purpose of calling it theirs – regardless of whether the government has the rights to do so or not. Salma fights against this, as she wants recognition of the injustice not only being brought unto her, though of those around her as …show more content…

Besides the primary conflict of Salma’s lemon grove actively being possessed by the Israeli government, Israeli’s attempt to do small things here and there in order to further aggravate the lives of Palestinians. Following the initial letter of intent to take away Salma’s lemon grove, Israeli construction workers are sent to put up a fence around [her] trees. While Salma could still sneak over the fence to tend to her trees, the act of placing boundary detriments her sense of familiarity. The situation is further irritated when guards from the Defense Minister’s house pick lemons from Salma’s trees without her knowledge. This demonstrates a complete disrespect for privacy of property. Later in the film, as Salma and her lawyer are attempting to enter Jerusalem to appear in the Supreme Court, they’re almost turned away by the Israeli border control, as there’s a curfew initiated for all Palestinians. While small misdemeanors, these actions give cause to instigate conflict between the two parties; it becomes difficult for Palestinians to live their lives with a given need for retaliation, and it presents a more domineering position for Israelis in power.

Taking a looking over to Paradise Now, written and directed by Hany Abu-Assad, the film explores the last days of childhood Palestinian friends Said and Khaled. Unlike the film Lemon Tree, Paradise Now exhibits a retaliation in its

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