Composed almost entirely of footage filmed by police, The Perfect Neighbor is a harrowing documentary about a black woman shot by her white neighbour in Florida. The director reveals how she made it
‘T
o this day,” says Geeta Gandbhir, “I’m devastated.” The film-maker is talking about the killing of Ajike “AJ” Owens, a black woman shot dead by her white neighbour in Florida two years ago. Gandbhir first came to the case in a personal capacity, as 35-year-old Owens was a family friend.
But things quickly changed. She and her team worked hard to drum up media attention and pressure law enforcement and government institutions to take action – and hold this neighbour, 60-year-old Susan Lorincz, accountable. They began filming protests and vigils, intending to create short pieces for news outlets.
All this grew and has now resulted in The Perfect Neighbor, a film by Gandbhir, who may well have invented a new subgenre of true crime documentary. By telling the story almost entirely using official – and harrowing – police body camera footage, the 55-year-old director has moved beyond traditional narrative to present an unfiltered and unflinching account of a tightknit community facing a horror in its midst.
