Please join us for this film screening and discussion hosted by
The United Nations Association of New York
Fuego
Special panelists include
Arturo Muyshondt
Film director and actor
Founder, Caras Foundation
Nasreen Sheikh
Child trafficking survivor and advocate
Sia Michel
Culture Editor, New York Times
Erika Alexander
Actress and activist
Emma Seppälä
Faculty Director, Women’s Leadership Program
Yale School of Management
Ezekiel Pacheco
Actor
First DACA Recipient cast as lead in a feature film
Opening remarks by
Rosanna Arquette
Actress and activist
____
Wednesday | 10 September 2025 | 6:00 to 9:30 p.m.
Admission:
UNA Members: $22
Non-Members: $30
Dolby 88 Screening Room
1350 Avenue of the Americas (at West 55th Street)
Lobby Level
New York, NY 10019
6:00 - 6:30 p.m. | Reception (organic chicken & vegan pupusas will be served)
6:30 - 8:00 p.m. | Film screening
8:00 - 9:00 p.m. | Discussion
9:00 - 9:30 p.m. | Reception continues
Screening begins promptly at 6:30 p.m. followed by a Q+A discussion
DISCLAIMER: All ticket sales for events are final. Please remember that your purchase represents your commitment to attend an event — there will be NO refunds issued.
Register for this event here
In director Arturo Muyshondt’s film FUEGO, a Mayan mother in the highlands of Guatemala fights to protect her family amid a devastating migration crisis. As their village faces turmoil, the inhabitants must make life-altering decisions, risking everything for a chance at a better future.
Fuego is a critical and urgent cinematic experience which highlights the origin of one of the most unknown yet most pressing issues of our time: how more than 300,000 Indigenous children refugees from the northern triangle of Central America have crossed into the U.S. alone looking for a better life, only to be absorbed into modern day slavery or handed over to street gangs.
Muyshondt is a Salvadoran-born filmmaker and former investment banker, whose personal history includes being a child soldier at age 11 in El Salvador's civil war, who later used a video camera to document his experiences, which profoundly influenced his decision to become a filmmaker focused on migrant and war-affected children.
“This is far more than just a film,” says Muyshondt. “It’s a movement. We have a history-making opportunity, one that doesn’t just raise awareness, it drives positive change in our world. Fuego is the first step in a new model for how art can change the world.”
Fuego is an urgent and heart wrenching dramatic thriller about the inhabitants of a Mayan village who risk their lives in order to shape their own destiny.
We invite you to attend our special screening of this powerful film, followed by a panel session with our guests who will be present for a Q+A with the audience, including: actor and director Arturo Muyshondt, child trafficking survivor and advocate Nasreen Sheikh, Culture Editor of the New York Times Sia Michel, actress and activist Erika Alexander, Faculty Director of the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program Emma Seppälä, and actor Ezekiel Pacheco, who was the first DACA Recipient cast as lead in a feature film. Special opening remarks for the evening will be delivered by actress Rosanna Arquette.
Guest Panelists
Arturo Muyshondt
Arturo Muyshondt is the director of Fuego, a film that explores the story of a Mayan mother in Guatemala fighting to protect her family during a devastating migration crisis, as her village faces turmoil and inhabitants make life-altering decisions risking everything for a better future. The drama, which Muyshondt also wrote, is based on real events and highlights the struggles of indigenous people and the root causes of migration to the U.S. border.
Muyshondt, a Salvadoran-born filmmaker and former investment banker, draws from his own traumatic childhood experience as a child soldier in El Salvador's civil war to inform his work, which aims to bring critical stories of Central American migrants to light.
He is currently developing a docuseries to humanize the statistics of undocumented children arriving in the U.S. and has founded the Caras Foundation to create entrepreneurship opportunities for these youth.
Nasreen Sheikh
Nasreen Sheikh is an internationally recognized human rights activist, multimedia artist, social entrepreneur, and one of the most influential voices in the global movement to end modern slavery. Born in a remote village on the border of India and Nepal, she survived child labor, forced marriage, and extreme poverty. Today, she transforms her lived experience into a powerful force for systemic change.
She is the founder of the Empowerment Collective, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to ending modern slavery in our lifetime; Local Women’s Handicrafts (LWH), a social enterprise in Nepal that empowers marginalized women through traditional craftsmanship; and leader of the End Modern Slavery Now movement, which unites people worldwide each March 8th and hosts the annual Global Prayer Day on Black Friday to honor survivors and promote conscious consumption.
A visionary advocate for a transparent global economic system, Nasreen champions supply chain transparency, corporate accountability, and modern slavery legislation. Her groundbreaking TransparaTrade™ initiative offers a blueprint for ethical commerce enabling consumers, businesses, and policymakers to trace supply chains, enforce human rights, and drive lasting reform.
Her message has reached millions through high-profile speeches, global media features, and advocacy campaigns. She has addressed the United Nations, the European Union, and major corporations such as Google and Amazon, while engaging with world figures including Gloria Steinem and Pope Francis.
Nasreen’s mission is rooted in a singular vision: that every child born on Earth should be guaranteed the 7 Keys of Inalienable Human Rights rights that ensure freedom, dignity, and opportunity for all.
Sia Michel
Sia Michel is a prominent American journalist known for her influential roles in music and culture editing. She graduated from the University of Pennsylvania and began her career as a reporter and music editor at SF Weekly. In February 2002, Michel made history by becoming the first woman to serve as editor-in-chief of Spin magazine, a position she held until February 2006, overseeing a publication with over half a million readers. Her early work earned recognition, including the 1999 ASCAP Deems Taylor Award for her reporting on the death of hip-hop icon The Notorious B.I.G.
In 2007, Michel joined The New York Times as editor of Arts & Leisure and pop music editor, later advancing to deputy culture editor in 2018 and Culture editor in January 2023. Throughout her tenure at the Times, she has edited notable figures such as Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic Wesley Morris and contributing critic at large Salamishah Tillet, while focusing on arts, culture, and social justice issues.
Erika Alexander
Discovered at 14 by Merchant Ivory during a summer acting class at the New Freedom Theatre, Erika Alexander began her career with her first major film role in My Little Girl (1986). Her early notable roles included playing Madri/Hidimbaa in Peter Brook’s adaptation of The Mahabharata (1989) and starring opposite Whoopi Goldberg in the civil rights drama The Long Walk Home (1990).
She gained prominence on television as Pam Tucker on The Cosby Show (1990–1992) and as Maxine Shaw on Living Single (1993–1998), earning two NAACP Image Awards for Outstanding Actress in a Comedy Series in 1996 and 1998.
Alexander’s acting career spans numerous TV and film roles, including appearances in Déjà Vu (2006) with Denzel Washington, Get Out (2017), and American Fiction (2023), for which she received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Supporting Performance.
Emma Seppälä
As a best-selling author, Yale lecturer, and international keynote speaker, Emma Seppälä teaches executives at the Yale School of Management and is faculty director of the Yale School of Management’s Women’s Leadership Program. A psychologist and research scientist by training, her expertise is the science of happiness, emotional intelligence, and social connection. Her best-selling book The Happiness Track (HarperOne, 2016) has been translated into dozens of languages. Her new book is Sovereign (Hay House, 2024). Seppälä is also the Science Director of Stanford University’s Center for Compassion and Altruism Research and Education.
Ezekiel Pacheco
Ezekiel Pacheco was born in Ayutla de los Libres in Guerrero, Mexico, and was brought to the U.S. as an infant, growing up in Watts, Los Angeles. He discovered his undocumented status around age 14 when he learned about the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program in 2012, which granted him the ability to remain in the country without the constant threat of deportation. Coming from humble beginnings, Pacheco helped his parents run their snack shop on weekends and earned a business management degree while under DACA protection.
At 19, his unexpected journey into acting began after his parents enrolled his younger brother in a Glendale acting academy — and the school made an exception to admit Ezekiel as well. He further refined his craft through programs like the Sundance Directors Lab, where he met and gained mentorship from Oscar-nominated actor Ed Harris, who even supported his training at The Imagined Life acting studio. Pacheco made history as the first DACA recipient to star as the lead in a Hollywood feature film, playing Nico in the emotional thriller At the Gates.
Beyond personal success, Pacheco views his role as a meaningful step in changing narratives around undocumented immigrants in film. He hopes to bring empathy and nuance to portrayals of immigrants, while also supporting his family — aspiring to one day buy his parents a home and help lift them out of the struggles they’ve endured. His journey stands as a powerful testament to talent, resilience, and representation in Hollywood.
Opening Remarks
Rosanna Arquette
Rosanna Arquette is an American actress and filmmaker who has long paired her artistic career with outspoken activism. While widely recognized for her performances in films such as Desperately Seeking Susan (1985) and Pulp Fiction (1994), Arquette has increasingly used her public platform to advocate for women’s rights, social justice, and progressive causes. She has been especially vocal about addressing systemic inequality in Hollywood, leveraging her visibility to highlight the struggles faced by women in the entertainment industry.
A survivor of harassment herself, Arquette was one of the earliest high-profile voices to speak out against Harvey Weinstein, playing a pivotal role in the #MeToo movement. Her courage helped break open an industry-wide conversation about sexual misconduct and power dynamics, inspiring many others to come forward. She has continued to stress the need for accountability, equity, and a safer creative environment, while also supporting grassroots organizations that empower women and survivors of abuse.
Beyond gender advocacy, Arquette is committed to a range of humanitarian and political issues. She has been involved in campaigns promoting environmental protection, human rights, and peace initiatives, often using her social media presence and documentary work to raise awareness. By merging her artistry with activism, Arquette has established herself not only as a versatile performer but also as a dedicated advocate for cultural change and justice.