The Lemon Tree describes the legal efforts of a Palestinian widow to stop the Israeli Defense Minister, her next door neighbor, from destroying the lemon trees growing on her family farm. At the same time, she develops a bond with the minister's wife. The film was released in Israel on March 27th, 2008, initially receiving a tepid response from Israeli audiences. However, following its international release through IFC Films on April 17th, 2009, the film achieved critical success and received nominations for several awards, including 'Best Actress' and 'Best Screenwriter' at the European Film Awards.