At Home: Angela Guerra Walley and Mark Walley of Walley Films

Is there a particular project for work, either new or ongoing, that is capturing your attention?

Since the shutdown in March we’ve shifted our main focus to Dreambored, a band we started in 2018. Music has always been a part of our collaborative relationship, but it often takes a backseat to our documentary projects or is produced specifically for our films. Mark has been producing original scores for our documentaries for years, including the score for Tía Chuck: A Portrait of Chuck Ramirez, which Ruby City featured previously in their newsletter. Now it’s the other way around, the music comes first and we’re currently producing a music video for our first single, “Coming Down.”

Why are you drawn to work on it at this moment?

Now that social distancing makes collaborations more complicated, we’ve been drawn to projects we can produce solely on our own. It’s been an easy transition since we’ve always worked as a duo, managing all aspects of our productions and performances just the two of us. This is the first time in a long time that we’re creating work on our own accord that’s not commissioned or with a collaborator. It feels appropriate to take this time to do so and we feel very fortunate that we’re able to do so.

Have you picked up any new hobbies?

Back in March Angela picked up old hobbies, sewing masks and baking bread and cookies, but we haven’t started any new ones. I suppose we turned our favorite hobbies, playing music and making films into a career. If we have free time we mostly go for runs around our neighborhood or watch movies.

Our worlds have become much more localized due to COVID-19. Has your local environment or community shaped your work?

Our film work has always been deeply rooted in our local art community and much of it couldn’t exist without it. We’re currently planning a film project with Monarch Butterfly and Pollinator Festival as an alternative to a their annual event at the Pearl. This project in particular will focus on our local community.

What (or who) have you looked to for strength and inspiration in these uncertain times?

We’ve maintained connections to our family and close friends through phone calls, messages, and social distance hangs in parks, which keeps our spirits up. We’ve also relied on each other for encouragement and support these past several months, especially since Angela is still grieving the loss of her father, Luis Angel Guerra, who passed at the end of 2018. That loss has been an inspiration for our music and upcoming music video, which is a cathartic outlet to express our grief, heartbreak, and healing.

What are your hopes for the future?

We hope that this balance of making time for personal work and commissioned work can continue for many years to come. We also hope that everything that’s been happening, globally and locally, has opened more eyes to injustices and inequities and our communities can come together to make life better for everyone. We believe art has an significant place in those conversations and hope our work can be a part of that.