The

Perfect

Neighbor

A seemingly minor neighborhood dispute in Florida escalates into deadly violence. Police bodycam footage and investigative interviews expose the consequences of Florida’s “stand your ground” laws.

SYNOPSIS

In a close-knit Florida neighborhood, a parcel of vacant land becomes the center of a tragic conflict. What begins as a seemingly minor dispute over children playing escalates into a horrifying chain of events that devastates a community and sparks a national reckoning with Florida’s “Stand Your Ground” laws. At the heart of the story is Ajike Owens, a vibrant Black mother of four, whose life becomes entangled in a chilling clash with her White neighbor, Susan Lorincz—a conflict that reveals the darker undercurrents of prejudice, entitlement, and systemic failure.

Through an extraordinary feat of documentary filmmaking, The Perfect Neighbor reconstructs the harrowing sequence of events using almost exclusively police bodycam footage, detective interviews, and witness testimonies. Director Geeta Gandbhir captures the relentless escalation with searing clarity, turning a seemingly ordinary neighborhood dispute into a gripping examination of race, power, and the legal systems that shape our lives.

Unflinching and urgent, The Perfect Neighbor lays bare how everyday conflicts can expose deep fault lines in society, revealing the devastating consequences of fear, prejudice, and systemic inequities within our communities.

CREDITS

A Message Pictures production in association with SOB Productions and Park Pictures.

Directed and produced by

Geeta Gandbhir

Produced by

Alisa Payne

Nikon Kwantu 

Sam Bisbee

Edited by

Viridiana Lieberman

Executive Producers

Sam Pollard

Takema Robinson

Soledad O’Brien

Rose Arce

Jackie Kelman Bisbee

Wendy Neu

Standing In the Gap fund

Standing in the Gap responds to the trauma of
race-based violence by easing financial burdens and supporting healing. Rooted in justice, healing, and culture, we partner with artists to harness Black cultural arts traditions for healing and inspiring change.

In honor of Ajike “AJ” Owens, a mother of four and victim to racial violence- The Standing In The Gap Fund was created to support families like AJ’s who are suffering from loss and unsure of how to navigate the aftermath. Funds from The Standing In The Gap Fund Support Efforts support families in the most critical spaces of healing along their journeys

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