By Irina Echarry
HAVANA TIMES – Charcoal has become essential for cooking in today’s Cuba. The lack of gas and electricity forces families to turn to charcoal to cook their food, whether in a dirt yard or on the fifth floor of an apartment building in the heart of the capital.
However, in 2017, when charcoal was still used mainly in rural areas and in some luxury restaurants, John Rosenmiller had many questions: who are the people behind that piece of burned wood? Who spends entire nights watching over the kilns? What is the work dynamic like; what are the social relationships within the group? Is it possible to capture the interior of a human being who is tired yet satisfied with the work they do?
Rosenmiller is a restless photographer from New York who feels captivated by Cuba and its people. When he met Inocencio and Mario in Cabagan, Trinidad, humble and hospitable people willing to share their life experiences, John began a journey through several provinces that has lasted almost until today. With flashlights, kerosene cans, a small lantern, a couple of lights strategically placed behind the kilns, a small campfire, and the light of the moon, he managed to create powerful black-and-white images, capturing more than what can be seen at first glance: the essence of the simple and hardworking lives of charcoal makers.
After eight years, an exhibition finally opens on Friday, March 6 at 7:30 pm at the Fabrica de Arte Cubano (FAC), in Havana. It brings together those nighttime visits to kilns in Viñales, Trinidad, Baracoa, and San Jose, documenting the work process and part of the daily life of those responsible for making charcoal—the fuel that today millions of Cubans depend on.
Don’t miss the exhibition, which will be open to the public throughout the month of March at Hall 3 of FAC: 26th Street between 11th and 13th, Vedado, Havana. Open Fridays and Saturdays from 8 p.m. until 2 a.m.
Read more from Cuba here on Havana Times.