"Cuba: An Intimate Glimpse into Un-sensationalized Realities" was an exhibition held in Brooklyn, New York during early September 2014.

The collection of photographs was captured by photographer Hannah Berkeley Cohen; and during the exhibit, the audience of like-minded individuals, who are vested in Cuba's future, observed Cohen's passion project. The project revealed the realities of modern-day Cuba and its transition in the unknown.

Born to a psychotherapist mother and NPR reporter father, Cohen grew up with the motto, "Get out into the world and get your hands dirty." Her parents encouraged her to be weird if it meant that she would be doing something interesting or helping others.

So, she began to create work about Cuba, work that would make people think, "Hmm. This is a different version of what I thought I knew already. I didn't know this existed." She wants people to retire the usual clichés that have been tirelessly pressed upon the nation for more than half a century: cars, beautiful women and cigars.

"Far less reported have been the stories of real people. What happens to Lisset's income when her president decides to unite the country's two currencies? How can Carlos' bachelor's degree in Philosophy benefit him, and how does he take his girlfriend out when he only makes $4 a month?" Cohen said to Latin Post. "Roilan just broke up with his boyfriend, so what will happen with their shared apartment that they paid for in cash, and how will they each find individual housing when housing occupancy is at its maximum? I want to show real Cubans' daily struggles and accomplishments."

After spending a year in Cuba, the Ohio native realized that there was very little daily Cuban life represented in American media. Like many non-Cuban photographers, she wanted to document a gritty, underground scene, despite the fact the island is well-accustomed to "intrepid, arrogant foreigners darting around with a camera and a sense of entitlement."

"I went in assuming I would quickly grasp the intricacies of daily life in Cuba; it laughed in my face. Cuba is a humbling place ...it does not allow itself to be dominated by anyone, much less an ignorant foreigner with no real roots tying them to the island," proclaimed Cohen. "It was only after my fifth or sixth trip that I realized I couldn't continue trying to 'figure it all out.'"

According to Cohen, Cuba "has layers upon undiscovered layers that flirt with outsiders." It bats its eyelashes, egging on anyone tempted to come closer. Cohen, like others, was drawn closer, but it wasn't until she began to simply observe and stopped asking so many questions that the defensive walls of the island came tumbling down.

Her friendships became richer and she was finally able to document daily life in an honest way. People did away with pretense after she visited their homes months at a time. With the people and the nation seemly vulnerable and accepting, she began to take photos told an un-sensationalized, intimate story of Cuba.

"My job as a photographer -- or artist, or writer, or tour guide -- is to present an unbiased, provocative portrait of the place and the people. It's important to acknowledge that everyone comes to Cuba with their own preconceived notions," said Cohen. "My intention is to intrigue people so that they want to delve deeper into realities that contrast with their normative expectations."

As a person-to-person tour leader in Cuba, she takes groups of wide-eye foreigners, 10 or less, and provides intimate and genuine experiences. They stay in great casas particulares (B&Bs) and eat in new paladares (privately owned restaurants), which can only fit a few tables. The small group experience allows visitors a more personal connection to Cubans. Participants gain friendships, grander opportunities and an ability to collaborate.

"Wide-eyed, curious Cuban youth want business advice, life advice, and mainly just genuine conversation from American entrepreneurs," said Cohen. "Amazing opportunities present themselves in these intimate situations where both Americans and Cubans alike have the time and space to discuss ideas in an open forum. This is when those a-ha! moments happen. They are what I live for. They are why I do what I do."

Cohen's current work is focusing on how waves of migration have affect the core of Cuban existence or the vida cotidiana (the daily life) of students, dreamers, parents and artists. She is working on a photo project that deals with the"brain drain" among Cuban youth, as leaving Cuba has become an epidemic. She shared that even young people who are already extremely successful in Cuba seek more success waiting elsewhere-often misguidedly so.

The project documents their lives in Cuba, and follows them through their struggles in their new homes abroad. And it focuses heavily on the void they've left on the island. The two-part project is entitled "Those Who Left/Those Who Stayed."

Related