Nadia Lee Cohen on Corn Sweat, Turkey Clubs, and Holy Ohio

When WePresent called Nadia Lee Cohen with an opportunity to publish a new photo book, she wasn’t sure what she wanted to do. A day later, inspiration struck. The British-born, L.A.-based photographer would capture a visit to her extended family in rural Ohio: American flags, ashtrays, and all. Ahead of the release of Holy Ohio (distributed by IDEA books), Cohen got on the phone with her frequent collaborator, Interview’s own Mel Ottenberg, to talk Trump, mac and cheese, and capturing the last gasp of the American dream. 

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NADIA LEE COHEN: How are you?

MEL OTTENBERG: I’m fine. How are you?

COHEN: I’m a bit stressy this morning. There’s a lot happening. I’m not getting dinner made by my man like you.

OTTENBERG: I’m sorry. Your time will come again.

COHEN: My time will come. My man’s friend is staying with me. She’s making me dinner, I guess it’s the next best thing.

OTTENBERG: Nadia, we’ve been friends for a long time, but I’m just learning that you have an American family. I’m looking

at this PDF and I’m like, wait, what is this? Nadia’s family has got American flags flying and stuff. It’s wild. Wait, are you

related by blood to this man?

COHEN: Yeah.

OTTENBERG: I see it. He looks great, by the way.

COHEN: It’s in the eyes maybe. It’s my mum’s side. But he’s not American. I mean, he moved there. But technically—

OTTENBERG: This is your uncle?

COHEN: This is my uncle.

OTTENBERG: Oh, wow. Let’s go back in the family tree so I understand what it is I’m looking at because it’s quite wild.

COHEN: So basically my mom’s brother and his wife lived in England. And then in the early nineties, his daughter met an American guy so they all immigrated.

OTTENBERG: To where?

COHEN: To Columbus, Ohio. I just remember going there once when I was a kid. My interest in everything to do with the U.S. was sparked from that trip because it was like looking at the TV in real life. As a kid, it was this magical, colorful place with fireflies and the nights were warm. Now I know that has something to do with sweating corn.

OTTENBERG: And so how did this project of you returning with your British family to visit your Ohio family come about?

COHEN: First of all, WePresent were like, “Do you want to do a book?” And I was like,“I don’t have any ideas.” And then a day later my uncle called my mum to tell her he was dying. He does call a lot saying he’s ill and he’s got this and that, but after she got off the phone I could tell that there was a realization that everyone’s getting older, and maybe she’ll never see them again. So I thought that it would make for an interesting thing to do, to just go back, see them, and shoot it.

OTTENBERG: How was your trip?

COHEN: It was a time warp. I was sort of concerned that it would look different, maybe it’s been gentrified, maybe everyone’s wearing L.A. workout clothes, but everything was exactly as I remembered it. It’s the same green carpet, the same furniture. It was that weird deja vu feeling, but in real life.

OTTENBERG: Yeah. And how long were you guys there for?

COHEN: A week.

OTTENBERG: When you’re out on the streets, is it giving Gummo world?

COHEN: It is. 

OTTENBERG: Is it giving MAGA Trump world?

COHEN: It is. And it was interesting to be dropped into that because I haven’t been to the Midwest as an adult. It’s just normal there. On the back of cars. It’s everywhere.

OTTENBERG: But it’s exotic for you.

COHEN: Exactly. That’s actually the perfect word. I actually really do enjoy inserting myself into a place like that to live for a bit and just sort of search for a vegetable.

OTTENBERG: What was the cuisine?

COHEN: Pizza, mac and cheese, turkey club, everything brown.

OTTENBERG: Did you have a way of shooting them? The look is very specific. Did you have that planned in advance or did

you just see it and feel it and that’s what it is?

COHEN: No, I just brought a point and shoot. So they’re very unplanned.

OTTENBERG: Who’s that?

COHEN: That’s my mom’s niece. Great cheekbones.

OTTENBERG: Very cheekbones. Is everyone on meth there?

COHEN: Someone in the dollar store parking lot was, it seemed that way, but it’s no more than if you go downtown L.A.

OTTENBERG: Right. How do you think they see you, your family there? Like L.A. city slicker?

COHEN: I actually don’t know exactly how they see me or my mom and dad and brother, but I think that—

OTTENBERG: Is this your brother?

COHEN: Yes.

OTTENBERG: He’s cute. Wait, so you learned how to shoot a gun there?

COHEN: Yeah. Cans in the backyard. 

OTTENBERG: Who was teaching you? Your uncle?

COHEN: My cousin. Did you see what it says on the back of his top?

OTTENBERG: “Master Bait and Tackle Muff Diving Team. Going down since 1994.” Damn. Incredible. Did you go to church?

COHEN: I went near a church. They’re everywhere. The one that I tried to go in was closed. Aren’t they supposed to always be open? 

OTTENBERG: They love Jesus and guns and the Second Amendment.

COHEN: It’s very Amish. Yeah.

OTTENBERG: Is this a stranger or a relative?

COHEN: That was taken as soon as we landed. He’s just standing outside the airport. I like the no weapons sign in the back.

OTTENBERG: Does everyone smoke there?

COHEN: A lot of people smoke still, which is actually quite refreshing. I like towns where people smoke because it’s so banned and frowned upon in L.A.

OTTENBERG: Cinematically, what movies were you thinking of when you were making Holy Ohio.

COHEN: None. But now I look back it felt very Lynch-y. My skin felt weird and clammy while I was there. I’d take two or three showers a day and still feel clammy. And when I brought it up to my cousin, she was like, “Oh, that’s the corn sweat.” And she’s like, “Every year the corn sweats like a human and makes the entire atmosphere feel like it’s covered by a damp cloth.”  There was something about that, partnered with oxygen tanks everywhere—the characters, the guns, the food, it felt very Lynch.

OTTENBERG: What do you think you learned about the Midwest?

COHEN: That it’s big. Way bigger and more significant than I imagined in terms of opinion and population.

OTTENBERG: Yeah. Wow. Ohio.

COHEN: Ohio. 

OTTENBERG: Did you eat anything in this restaurant?

COHEN: Yes. I had eggs, coffee and a bagel. Brown food. 

OTTENBERG: Wow. And then is she a stranger?

COHEN: So every Friday, my cousin goes to the casino.

OTTENBERG: Oh, wow.

COHEN: So we went and we got thrown out as a family because I was taking pictures.

OTTENBERG: Wow.

COHEN: That was an experience.

OTTENBERG: Is this your mom?

COHEN: That’s my mom’s niece. My mom actually is only in the film stills at the end.

OTTENBERG: Did you do this drawing of Myra?

COHEN: No, no. My cousin, the one with the beard, draws really well. He has a huge binder of people that are evil.

OTTENBERG: Wow.

COHEN: There’s Myra and Epstein and Ted Bundy, John Wayne Gacy. It’s quite amazing. I think Charles Manson’s in there too.

OTTENBERG: Fabulous.

COHEN: That was one of my favorite things.

OTTENBERG: Cool. Well, thanks for chatting with me.

COHEN: Thank you.

OTTENBERG: I’ll call you after this.