The Golden Harvest. Documentary. 

If it were a woman, the olive tree would be the Scheherazade of the Mediterranean, the greatest of storytellers. Spanning hundreds of wars, biblical times and the current migration crisis, the olive tree has held its own, seeping into culture, economics, history, politics, religion and food in a 6,000 year-old storyin which the filmmaker attempts to understand the deep, often troubled relationship between the peoples of the Mediterranean and their olive trees. Her journey takes her to unexpected places, including her own home, as an increasingly diverse cast of characters gets involved in unraveling this story. It’s a complicated romance which constantly evolves towards a space that includes some of the poorest, most troubled areas in Europe and the Middle East. 

Note: the documentary was filmed prior to the current crisis in Palestine and the rest of the Middle East.

Alia Yunis is a writer, journalist and filmmaker. Born in Chicago, she grew up in the United States, Greece and the Middle East. She has worked as a filmmaker and journalist in several cities, mainly Los Angeles. Her fictional work has been featured in several anthologies, including the Robert Olen Butler Best Short Stories collection, whereas her non-fiction writings include articles for The Los Angeles Times, Saveur, SportsTravel Magazine and Aramco World.