Although a documentary about the socioeconomics and politics of the Cuban cigar trade would seem well overdue somehow, this film from director Pamela Sporn delves into a fascinating microcosmic but no less important facet of Cuban cigar production, one that likely most outside this industry have little clue about shop-floor readers.
“Readers were an integral part of the world of cigar makers,” intones the voiceover in Spanish, with a visual introduction to this industrial world borrowing from the familiar Ken Burns style of focusing on still portraits of cigar factory workers in the 19th and early 20th century, zooming in and out for cinematic effect. What is the role of a cigar factory “reader”?
As we soon learn, this is a highly coveted position in the cigar workforce, one that comes with high expectations and the huge responsibility of not only providing a wellspring of empowering knowledge and a source of political awareness for workers (tabaqueros), but also, at times, offering escapism from the daily drudgery of factory life.
Sporn interviews both readers and workers to understand just how this give-and-take dynamic plays out in the workplace: we observe the readers in action, their recital echoing out over the factory floor, whether reading a local newspaper for informational purposes or giving the workers a bit more to digest with a novel (Les Miserables seems to be a popular choice over time).
Then we begin to learn about the titular chaveta and its dual purpose during the factory workday: it’s a small spade-like tool that is crucial in the cigar rolling process but also is used as a tool of expression: often if a reader hears hundreds of chavetas clanging on worktables, they know they’ve done a good day’s work. Recommended for film collections in academic libraries with a specialization in history and business titles.
Discover more titles with our list of history movies.