Fairweather Wilds

Directed & Produced by: Nyasha Laing

Stage:
- Production
Locations:
- New York, United States,
- Belize
Updated: July 14, 2026
Project Type:
- Short
Project Style:
- Archival ,
- Personal
Theme Subject:

Logline

A filmmaker reimagines a rainforest landscape in Belize where her grandfather—an octogenarian Black statesman—once planted 130,000 mahogany trees in an effort to repair colonial legacies of extraction, alienation and loss.

Synopsis

Inspired by one land steward’s act to replant 130,000 trees, Fairweather Wilds uses lyrical narration, rainforest landscapes, and reimagined family archives to immerse audiences in the intertwined histories of the colonial mahogany trade and Black Creole heritage in the Caribbean. This story is told in three short chapters and is filmed on historic land located in the vital Belize Maya Forest Corridor.

Descendant of a prominent, free Black carpenter who rose to

...

Descendant of a prominent, free Black carpenter who rose to national leadership in Belize, Henry Fairweather - known affectionately as Pa Hen - worked the swamp and jungle as a land surveyor and planner for 45 years. In his '80s and 90's, in his retirement, he embarked on the most ambitious task of his life: to reforest 350 acres of endangered rainforest with mahogany trees. Together with a few employees he methodically planted seedlings and cultivated the saplings. When fire and insects devoured thousands of trees, he replanted them. living weeks at a time in a shelled-out school bus with his basic comforts—a burner, tea, a chair, classical music CDs, and the familiar sounds of the forest.

But what motivated Pa Hen's stewardship? The film invites the viewer into a lyrical exploration of the extractive mahogany trade and its impacts on the land, asking what has been erased, what has been cared for, and what can be salvaged.

Get In Touch

Team

Nyasha Laing

Director & Producer

Team

Nyasha Laing

Director & Producer

Nyasha Laing is a storyteller, writer, lawyer and impact producer. Her work bridges creative expression and systemic change, exploring themes of cultural memory, identity, and repair. Nyasha’s films have received international recognition, including awards at Indie Memphis and the African Diaspora Festival, and have been featured in museums, theaters, and international festivals. Her writing and impact work have been showcased on PBS and BBC and at SXSW. Nyasha holds a BA in History from Yale University and a JD from NYU School of Law.

Close

Budget

This section includes information about this project.

Screenplay project editing creative award independent film team journey independent team independent director director. Team journey project producer film visual film production story project.

Grants & Awards

2023 NYFA Anonymous Was a Woman Environmental Arts Grant

Our Ask

We are seeking $25 K for post-production and release. We are also seeking institutional partners excited about exposing their audiences to intersecting histories of extraction, stewardship, and freedom. Our The Forest Remembers campaign will provide a wider curatorial platform for these untold stories that connect the Caribbean to the United States.

We are seeking:

Funding,
International Co-Production,
Broadcast Partner,
In Kind Partnerships