The Olive Tree, Cineworld, Edinburgh Film Festival

Set in southern Spain, this is a simple tale, beautifully told, of a young woman fighting to do what she feels to be right.  Feisty Alma works on the family chicken farm, argues with her father, and cares most in the world for her grandfather.  The latter has dementia, is prone to wandering off, and no longer able to speak.  But Alma is convinced there's more to his illness than the doctors think, and that he is still in mourning for the 2000 year old olive tree his sons sold off to pay for the transition from oil to poultry.  As a young girl Alma had had a shared connection with the old man through their love for the tree.

Having tracked down the tree to the foyer of an energy company in Dusseldorf, Alma persuades a friend and her uncle to go with her on a journey to bring the tree home.  The story she's spun to persuade them to accompany her is less than truthful, and when the trio face the reality of the situation events go way beyond what any of them had predicted.  By the time they return home all three will have been changed by their experience and become more certain of what really matters in their lives.

This straightforward story of family loyalties and conflicts also gives thought to some much wider themes.  Alma's quest becomes a cause celebre in Germany when social media attracts the attention of environmentalists, and bandwagon jumpers are quick to respond.  Her simple desire to please her grandfather must go against big business and the nature of capitalism, and a society where nothing has a value without a Euro symbol.  The young woman's passionate humanity up against the faceless power of big money.

This was the eleventh film I've watched at this year's festival, but the first that I left feeling that I'd be happy to sit through it again.  Anna Castillo is a powerful force as Alma, a swirling mix of love and wildness, determined to do the right thing, even if it means going about it the wrong way.  But the standout performance comes from Javier Gutierrez as Uncle Alcachofa, a man whose sense of self worth was destroyed by the 2008 crash, and is able to take a fresh look at himself when he has to make choices.

There's plenty of humour, especially when the confrontations in Dusseldorf take off, but I'll remember this movie most for it's humanity, warmth and charm.  Highly recommended.