"The Perfect Neighbor" Screenings at Stanford and Fordham Universities

The Oscar-nominated documentary film, "The Perfect Neighbor," will be shown in special screenings at Stanford University on February 25, and at Fordham University School of Law on March 4. The film, directed by Geeta Gandbhir, revolves around a seemingly minor tiff in a Florida community that escalated violently and tragically with the shooting of Ajike Owens, a young Black mother. Susan Lorincz, the neighbour at the centre of the dispute, shot her. The movie is crafted from police body camera recordings, Ring camera footage, personal mobile phone videos, and archived 911 calls.

"The Perfect Neighbor" seeks to shed light on Florida's controversial Stand Your Ground laws, which permit the use of lethal force when individuals feel their lives or bodies are at risk. Lorincz invoked this law in her trial.

Stanford Law School will host a screening and interactive discussion with the director, Gandbhir, and producer Nikon Kwantu on February 25 at 5 p.m. The screening is a joint effort with the American Constitution Society, the Stanford Criminal Justice Center, the Women of Stanford Law, and the Middle Eastern and South Asian Law Students Association. Similarly, a screening is planned at Fordham Law School’s Center on Race, Law and Justice with a Q&A session involving Gandbhir and producer Alisa Payne on March 4 at 5:30 p.m.

In the lead up to the 2023 shooting, Lorincz was a constant caller to 911 over a two-year span, airing grievances about the noise made by Owens’ children and other neighbourhood kids on her property. Gandbhir shared with Variety that the narrative of the film is a "slow burn," revealing perturbing facts that unnervingly alter the viewer's perception. According to the director, the film, in many respects, mirrors a horror film.

Netflix secured broadcasting rights to "The Perfect Neighbor," initially debuted at the Sundance Film Festival. The streaming giant reportedly paid $5 million for the rights in February 2025. Upon release on Netflix, the documentary attracted a whopping 16.7 million views in the initial three-day period.