A New Film Tells the Story of La Peña Cultural Center Through Murals

The first time photographer and filmmaker Clara Pérez visited Berkeley’s La Peña Cultural Center for an open mic, they were amazed by the sense of community at the venue.

“I was new to the Bay, trying to get my grounding,” says Pérez, “and just walking into that room, there was so much love.” Moved by the performers and the way the crowd received them, Pérez reached out to management that same evening. “Pretty quickly after that I became a staff photographer with La Peña.”

The venue, active for nearly 50 years, is well known for its live music and community gatherings that are often full of political discourse.

On the outside of the building is the center’s trademark mural, Song of Unity. The 15-by-40-foot piece depicts multiple icons, including Mexican American labor leader Cesar Chavez, Native American activist Bill Wahpepah and slain Chilean folk singer Victor Jara. Originally painted in 1978, the mural is a visual representation of what the space is all about — the people and the culture.

That idea, of using murals to claim space for cultural purposes, is explored in the new short film A Place to Call Home.

Directed by Clara Pérez and co-produced by Corey Raynor, the film focuses on La Peña’s intergenerational mural-making workshops and the importance of cultural preservation through visual art.

The 11-minute documentary film, which screens on Friday, June 14, at San Francisco’s Queer Women of Color Film Festival, features budding visual artists Lauryn Marshall, Angélica López and kahalla all working on their craft under the tutelage of artist and educator Cece Carpio.

The film follows the artists through the process of painting a floor-to-ceiling mural in the center’s community room. The finished mural, Pérez explains, is a nod to intergenerational connections.

“On the left side is a Black queer trans nonbinary person, and the different iterations of them as a child. And then on the right, you see three generations of Black women who are braiding each other’s hair — a grandmother, a mother and a child,” says Pérez. Elsewhere, an image of corn is López’s way of acknowledging the cultural ritual of corn dances to celebrate womanhood.

“[The artists] had these amazing stories about honoring their ancestors, in place,” says Pérez, noting that a tree in the middle of the mural represents Oakland.

Pérez followed the trio through the creative process, attending meetings and brainstorming sessions. At times, Pérez put the camera down to allow the artists to fully express themselves during vulnerable moments.

“Seeing them, as artists, come up with something on the spot, it really requires a collaboration that you don’t see in other spaces,” says Pérez. Discussions about turning abstract ideas into a tangible creation takes more than just work. “Color, shape, theme — how can we communicate these things?” asks Pérez. “It requires a certain level of vulnerability.”

Add in the hurdle of finding funding, and these artists get the real-world experience of being muralists.

The hope is that those who see the film will appreciate the time artists must spend to learn and perfect their craft. Having a vision, translating it to something real, and in doing so, uplifting their cultural heritage: “It’s real spiritual work,” says Pérez.

‘A Place to Call Home’ screens Friday, June 14 at 7 p.m. at the Presidio Theatre (499 Moraga Ave., San Francisco). Find tickets and information here.