As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow

Content Warning: As Long as the Lemon Trees Grow discusses and depicts martial violence (shootings, bombings, etc.), sexual assault, self-harm, death, and mental health struggles related to the Syrian Revolution.

Eighteen-year-old Salama Kassab buys lemons and bread at the run-down grocery store in her half-demolished town of Homs, Syria. She feels nostalgic about her deceased mother, but stops herself from lingering. She walks to her sister-in-law and best friend Layla’s home (as Layla is married to Salama’s brother Hamza), looking at the bombed ruins of her hometown. Salama helps daily at a local hospital, as the government’s sieges killed many doctors. Though she only attended a year of pharmacy school, her experience helps her care for the mortally wounded.

Layla is seven months pregnant, and pleads with Salama to get them safe passage away from the ongoing revolution. A man named Am at the hospital should be able to smuggle them by boat, as they can’t walk to Turkey with Layla being pregnant and the constant snipers. Salama feels torn about leaving, as she knows she’s needed to help patients, but promised Hamza that she’d take care of Layla before he and their Baba (father) left to fight in the war.