A minor disagreement between neighbors in Florida takes a lethal turn, with police body camera footage and interviews pr | dG1fWlIwaGtmc2NYS2s
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Short filmTranscript
00:00My name is Geeta Ganbir and I'm the director of the film The Perfect Neighbor, which is
00:11premiering at the 2025 Sundance Film Festival in the U.S. Documentary Competition.
00:17The Perfect Neighbor takes place in Ocala, Florida.
00:20It's the harrowing story of the family and community of Ajika Owens, a vibrant young
00:25black mother of four and a family friend.
00:29The film chronicles how her neighbor, Susan Lawrence, escalated a seemingly trivial dispute
00:34about children playing in a field near her house into devastating violence.
00:41I embarked on a film project with my family and colleagues to try to make sense of what
00:45had happened.
00:46In the process, we came across two years' worth of police body camera footage leading
00:51up to the incident, and that unprecedented material became the foundation of our film.
00:58We made this film not only to investigate the tragic sequence of events, but also to
01:03highlight the dangers of Florida's lax gun regulations and stand-your-ground laws.
01:09We are incredibly honored to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival and to share this important,
01:14timely film with the world.
01:28For more information visit www.sundancefilm.org