In her latest feature documentary, director Eunice Lau (Accept the Call) follows work of Domingo Morales, who is fighting climate change through composting. He is regarded as New York’s compost champion by major news media outlets such as The New York Times and NBC, Domingo revels in his success but remains haunted by the suicide of his mentor David Buckel, who set himself on fire in protest against climate change. Mourning the death of a man he considers a father, Domingo sets out to understand the impact of climate grief through David’s harrowing act while showing how each of us can do our part in saving the planet. By capturing how Domingo creates “black gold” (compost) by breaking down recycled organic waste and using it to fertilize the gardens that belong to residents living in public housing developments, we hope to show our audience suffering from climate anxiety that they can fight climate change through a simple action like composting.

Besides the feature film, the project also includes a multi-format exhibition of still imagery and a three-channel video installation. The exhibition will travel across five boroughs in New York City where Domingo has created compost sites.