Big Sky Documentary Film Festival / Manchester Film Festival 2019 – Field to Smoke
Cuba has long been known for their world renowned cigars. The life of the Cuban cigar is explored with the people who know them best, the dedicated workers.
Interview with Director Kyle Goings
Congratulations! Why did you make your film?
Growing up in a small town in the Midwest, Cuba always seemed to be a completely different world, one that was largely separated from the States. One thing that we weren’t isolated from though was the world-acclaimed Cuban cigar. Growing up I wasn’t a smoker, but the reputation and rarity of these cigars gave them a forbidden fruit complex. When I got the opportunity to study documentary filmmaking in Havana I knew this was my chance to really get to know how these prized cigars were made, and what made them so special. I have always loved learning the “how” behind any craft. It’s pretty satisfying, demystifying the world. I even made sure to smoke my first cigar before leaving because I just needed to know how much better it could get. Needless to say, I was not disappointed when I finally tried one of the Cubans.
Imagine I’m a member of the audience. Why should I watch this film?
Well, if you like process documentaries then you’ll really enjoy the film, but there’s a lot more to it than just that. Field to Smoke gives the viewer a new perspective on the Cuban cigar. The hard-working craftsmen in the tobacco fields and factories who make each cigar by hand are often lost behind the wealth and power associated with the cigars. These workers are the stars in this. Not only in their artistry but in exposing the great class disparity between the workers and their product.
How do personal and universal themes work in your film?
The class divide around the world is growing at a ridiculous rate. In Cuba, this divide is pushed to the max; Outside wealth dominates the economy. I mean, the fact that the factory tobacco rollers make roughly $18 per month and that a single cigar can be sold at $32 is insane to me – and that wasn’t even the most expensive one I saw! The Cuban people are seen as a great revenue source to their government but not welcomed to enjoy its finest products. They’re sold a cheeper, lesser quality tobacco instead. There’s just something wrong with that.
How have the script and film evolved over the course of their development?
As far as documentaries go, this film had a pretty clear structure going in. That’s the beautiful thing about process films, there is an inherent structure. From the beginning I always imagined it with four distinct chapters – Field, Factory, Store and Smoke. One thing I didn’t get to include, though, was black market cigars. In Old Havana, there are guys everywhere selling counterfeit or defective cigars they slipped from the factory for a much cheaper price. It’s really its own separate market. But like Leo Hurwitz pointed out, “A film sets boundaries of ideas and feelings within which you have to work… You're not trying to do everything in one work.” The black market is an important part of the Cuban cigar industry, but it just wasn’t my story to tell.
What type of feedback have you received so far?
So far the reception has been really good! Unfortunately, I wasn’t able to attend Big Sky FF to see its reception there, but everyone I’ve shown it to has seemed to like it. I got the most feedback from peers during production and early post-production (which happened simultaneously). That really played a huge role in shaping the film. For example, I had originally planned to open the film with an archival prolog but it just ended up being clunky and disruptive so that got cut pretty quick.
Has the feedback surprised or challenged your point of view?
Most people have just been excited to see more information about and from Cuba because of the strained diplomatic relationship between Cuba and the US. It was a privilege to be able to experience and share a side of Cuba that isn’t taught in history class.
What are you looking to achieve by having your film more visible on www.wearemovingstories.com?
Cuba is such a beautiful country with great people living there. I hope that by being in WeAreMovingStroies more people will be able to see this. I can never get over how little we know about one of our closest neighbors because of the political differences.
Who do you need to come on board (producers, sales agents, buyers, distributors, film festival directors, journalists) to amplify this film’s message?
At this stage we are looking for sales agents, buyers, or distributors to help get the film out there. After Big Sky FF, it will also be showing at the Manchester FF in March. From there, I’m hoping to get the film distributed online. Self-distribution only goes so far; I’d really like the film to reach a bigger audience than that.
What type of impact and/or reception would you like this film to have?
More than anything, I want the film to cure someone’s curiosity. To provide them with the satisfaction of following a cigar’s life from the moment the tobacco is planted to when its ash lands in an ashtray. Personally, I love watching these kinds of documentaries, but I also hope it takes the viewer a step further. Cuba has always been shrouded by this veil of mystery and I hope that this film can contribute to the slow but sure removing of that veil. When we in the States talk about Cuba, it’s always about Fidel Castro and communism. The Cuban people are rarely a part of the conversation. In this, they drive it.
What’s a key question that will help spark a debate or begin a conversation about this film?
I hope that the film can start conversations about our current relationship with Cuba. We’ve been fed such a one-sided history for so long that we just accept it as truth while ignoring the other side of the story. There is little to no reason why two countries so close together can’t have a more functional relationship. Maybe this film will help people look past the larger issues that will never be settled (I.e. Capitalism vs Communism) and bring back the human part of the conversation, to accept the fact that differences exist. Because while big governments battle it out, it’s the people who fall victim in the war.
What other projects are the key creatives developing or working on now?
Currently, I am in production for two other documentaries. One is my thesis film for NYU – a portrait of a drummer who was diagnosed with early onset Parkinson’s Disease (PD). You would think that the PD would impede the drumming, but something about the rhythmic movement of playing drums is highly therapeutic for PD symptoms, like tremors. He’s actually starting a new protect that is really exciting.
I also just started production on “Saving 53” which is going to be a more extended project following the restoration of an antique carousel. The carousel itself has a really beautiful story. It was owned by a founding member of the National Carousel Association whose life mission was to restore it. He unfortunately passed away a number of years ago, but now his sister and close friend are determined to save the carousel before it rots away, forgotten.
Interview: February 2019
We Are Moving Stories embraces new voices in drama, documentary, animation, TV, web series, music video, women's films, LGBTQIA+, POC, First Nations, scifi, supernatural, horror, world cinema. If you have just made a film - we'd love to hear from you. Or if you know a filmmaker - can you recommend us? More info: Carmela
Field to Smoke
Cuba has long been known for their world renowned cigars. The life of the Cuban cigar is explored with the people who know them best, the dedicated workers.
Length: 9:47
Director: Kyle C. Goings
Producer: Elliot Levy
About the writer, director and producer:
KYLE C GOINGS is a senior film production student at New York University. True to his midwestern roots, everyday “folks” are the subject of his films; however, there’s more than meets the eye, as the everyday people in these films have far from everyday lives. From the tobacco fields of Cuba to the whetstone of weapons experts, Kyle captures the human element of those whose stories are seldom told and does so in the most captivating light.
Key cast: Alexis Llanes Esperón (Tobacco Farmer), Jose Miguel Alveres Borges (Factory Foreman), Fidel Merandez Escalona (Salesman)
Looking for: sales agents, distributors, buyers
Facebook: Kyle C. Goings
Instagram: @goings393
Website: www.GoingsCreative.com
Other: IMDB
Funders: Self-Funded
Where can I watch it next and in the coming month? Manchester Film Festival/ Manchester, UK - March 10 @ 3:15