Director Fansu Njie Unpack America’s ‘Stand Your Ground’ Law in New Action Film | EUR Video Exclusive

*This interview has been edited for length and clarity.

*Swedish director Fansu Njie steps boldly into the American action-thriller landscape with “Stand Your Ground,” a gripping revenge tale set against the backdrop of the controversial Stand Your Ground law. The film, which debuted in theaters on May 9 and hits digital platforms on May 27, marks Njie’s second collaboration with action star Daniel Stisen, following their success with “Last Man Down.”

Njie admits the legal concept at the heart of the film was a major draw: “As a European that doesn’t have this law, it was very exciting to do something outside my box… I actually had to make a lot of research to understand why this law is in the US and where it is, how it functions and so on.”

His interest wasn’t just academic. The murky limits of the law intrigued him: “Where is the limit? Does it stop inside the house? Or what if you have one foot inside the house and the other foot outside? It’s very, very sensitive… it’s quite vague, what you actually can do and not can do… and all the mistakes that are coming… people getting shot and killed, just because of the law.”

Njie approached the film with neutrality: “I approached it very neutral. So I didn’t want to take any side… I tried to make it almost like a Sergio Leone film, more or less, like an old Western in style, and then, you know, adding the law and the intrigues and everything on top of that.”

At the core of the film is a familiar face: Daniel Stisen, whose physical presence and stunt work helped shape the movie’s tone. “He has the physics, he makes all the stunts himself. And he’s from Scandinavia, so we speak the same language in film and in real life… we also have the same mindset, you know, working hard, not giving up.”

Equally commanding is Peter Stormare as the crime lord Bastion. Njie relished working with the seasoned actor: “He was very involved with the film and the character and the subject… he’s from Sweden as well. We could dig deep into the film and explore the horror of the law itself… a guy with his caliber has so much knowledge about film and cinema… he was like an open dictionary.”

Stormare’s input also shaped the film’s intense action. “He has done everything already… he can have a long speech and it’s just one or two takes and he does it perfectly… he always delivers.”

Njie took a unique approach to structuring the film’s energy: “We built the story so that it almost goes from zero to a hundred. We have all the drama and all the character development in the start… and then when it goes to the action, we already know all the characters.”

As both director and editor, Njie was deeply involved from start to finish: “I edit everything in my head while shooting, and that makes everything easier in the post as well. So I’m very hands-on in post-production.”

Despite careful planning, the production faced inevitable challenges. “There’s always hurdles in film… everything from weather to people getting sick… you lose half a day and then you have to modify the scene… it’s just about being flexible… I had to throw away all my plans for certain days and just go for instinct.”

Njie is just as hands-on with promotion, using social media to stay connected with fans. “I’m very hands-on in social media. I push everything… small video clips, still photos… I read everything online as well. I scan the entire internet for everything, because all information is good information.”

As for what he hopes audiences take away? “I hope that they’re entertained and satisfied… happy to see some action piece that’s a little different… great actors and great action.”

 And if there’s one question the film asks, it’s this: “How far are you willing to go for revenge?”

MORE NEWS ON EURWEB.COM: Trailer Drops for Fansu Njie’s Action Thriller ‘Stand Your Ground’ Starring Daniel Stisen

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