In God’s Country, Thandiwe Newton stars as Sandra, a college professor in the American West, who faces an uphill battle in her workplace to have her opinions and skills properly acknowledged. When she sees two hunters trying to access the neighboring mountains, her initial request to ask them to leave is met with resistance, and the situation continues to worsen as she is determined to stand her ground.

God’s Country makes its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival. ShockYa had the chance to speak with writer-director Julian Higgins and co-writer Shaye Ogbonna about transforming a powerful story about an older white man into an even more resonant tale of a younger Black woman.

Watch our exclusive interview with Julian Higgins and Shaye Ogbonna above, and learn more about the film here.