Exclusive: Director Geeta Gandbhir Talks On Her Oscar Nominated Films, The Perfect Neighbor And The Devil Is Busy
Among the 2026 Academy Award nominees for Best Documentary is The Perfect Neighbor, directed by Geeta Gandbhir. It’s about a shooting incident on June 2, 2023 where a white female, Susan Louise Lorincz, fatally shot Ajike Owens, her black female neighbor, in Ocala, Florida.
The film is told in chronological order with limited narration, mostly using pre-existing police footage such as bodycams, and follows both the lead-up to the killing, the incident itself and its aftermath, from the neighborhood disputes eventually escalating into the killing to Lorincz's conviction for manslaughter, among other charges. As the killing itself did, the film notably questions the systemic bias in how Florida's stand-your-ground laws are applied.
Gandbhir is also Oscar Nominated for Best Documentary Short for The Devil Is Busy, which she co-directed with Christalyn Hampton, The Devil Is Busy is a daylong journey with Tracii, the determined head of security at a women's healthcare clinic in Atlanta, Georgia. She works to ensure the safety of women seeking abortions in the face of new restrictions and persistent protests. Following the routines of the staff who continue to provide a range of medical services, including preventive screenings, checkups, and reproductive healthcare, in an environment where clinics often face daily threats of danger.
Blackfilmandtv.com's Wilson Morales talks to director Geeta Gandbhir about her documentary The Perfect Neighnor and documentary short The Devil Is Busy, which she received Oscar Nominations for both