UNA-NYC Screens Powerful Film “Fuego”

From left to right: producer Michael Greene, film director Arturo Muyshondt, spiritual activist Master Betty, Empowerment Collective founder Nasreen Sheikh, Faculty Director of the Yale School of Management's Women's Leadership Program Emma Seppälä, Master of Ceremonies Bek Chee, and actor Rosanna Arquette. / Photographs courtesy of Maya Shkolnik.

On Wednesday, September 10, 2025, the United Nations Association of New York held a special FilmTalkUNA event at the Dolby 88 Screening Room in New York. The evening featured a private screening of Fuego, in its NYC premiere, followed by a panel discussion and audience Q&A. The reception included spirited audience interactions with the guest panelists, against a delicious service of organic chicken & vegan pupusas, courtesy of Point Brazil Restaurant.

Fuego, directed by Arturo Muyshondt, tells the harrowing story of a Mayan mother in the highlands of Guatemala who fights to protect her family in the face of a devastating migration crisis. The film draws attention to the struggles of over 300,000 Indigenous children from the Northern Triangle of Central America who have crossed into the United States, many ending up in modern-day slavery or in the hands of gangs.

Muyshondt, himself raised amid Central American conflict, has said that his experience growing up "with a video camera on one shoulder and a rifle on the other" deeply shaped his commitment to telling migrant and war-affected children's stories.

The post-screening panel included a diverse lineup of speakers and activists. Among them was Rosanna Arquette, the veteran American actor and activist known for Desperately Seeking Susan, Pulp Fiction, and her earlier documentary work. Arquette has long been outspoken on human rights issues and has used her platform to advocate for gender equality and survivors of harassment. Emma Seppälä, a Yale lecturer, psychologist, and best-selling author, joined the discussion. Seppälä is recognized for her work on emotional well-being, compassion, and trauma recovery, and serves as faculty director of Yale School of Management's Women's Leadership Program. Other participants included Arturo Muyshondt himself, Ezekiel Pacheco, the first DACA recipient to star as a lead in a feature film, and additional activists and film people.

The event underscores UNA-NYC's broader mission to foster public understanding of pressing global issues through film, dialogue, and civic engagement. By bringing together filmmakers, actors, scholars, and migrants in conversation, FilmTalkUNA bridges storytelling and advocacy - highlighting how documentary cinema can amplify under-heard voices and stimulate public discussion about migration, human rights, and global solidarity. UNA-NYC, as host chapter of UNA-USA, plays a vital role in New York City as a platform for connecting UN-related themes to American audiences, supporting the work of the United Nations through education, public programs, and outreach.

In short, Fuego offered a compelling and timely look at migration pressures in Central America, while the accompanying discussion invited deeper reflection on global displacement, the human costs of migration, and the power of film to provoke change. The evening's program exemplified UNA-NYC's continuing efforts to engage the public with critical international stories and to highlight artistic forms of activism in support of UN values.