A CUBAN CIGAR MADE IN US

Tobacco and slides | 2009

In 1962, President Kennedy signed an executive order prohibiting all trade with Cuba, which included a ban on possessing and smoking Cuban cigars in the U.S. Violations of this ban can result in up to 10 years in prison and a fine of up to $1 million. 

In the spring of 2009, I traveled to Cuba to explore the tobacco fields used by Fidel Castro for his renowned Cohiba cigars. From Cuba, I smuggled Cuban cigar tobacco through Copenhagen into the U.S. and had five hand-rolled cigars made in the Bronx, New York. These Cuban cigars, crafted in the U.S., symbolize how artistic endeavors can challenge political constraints and transform a 50-year “Communist scare” into something as refined as the finest smoke.

One day in 1961, shortly after the failed Bay of Pigs invasion, JFK called his cigar-smoking press secretary Pierre Salinger into the Oval Office. "I need a lot of cigars," he declared. "How many, Mr. President?" Salinger asked. "About a thousand," Kennedy replied. "Tomorrow morning, call all your friends who have cigars and just get as many as you can." Salinger dutifully raced out to find as many H. Upmann petits as he could find. The following morning he received an urgent message requesting his immediate presence in the Oval Office. "How did you do on the cigars last night?" Kennedy asked. "Mr. President, I was very successful," Salinger replied. "I got eleven hundred." Hearing this, Kennedy opened a drawer in his desk and produced a decree banning all Cuban products from entry into the United States. "Good," he declared. "Now... I can sign this!"

Year of production | 2009
See it on youtube here or Vimeo here
The project was supported kindly by The Danish Arts Agency.

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