Roxie Theater: Women’s Building Fundraiser: No Separate Survival

A fundraiser screening for the Women’s Building that will feature a Q&A panel with director Shabnam Piryaei and film participants/asylum seekers Irma Gallegos Chavez, Belvi Mikery, Juan Enriquez.

“There’s a saying in Mexico, they call it pueblo chico, infierno grande—small town big hell…I was an easy target.” – Juan, an LGBTQ asylee from Mexico.

Waves of migrants are fleeing and traversing thousands of miles to plead for safety at the US-Mexico border. Every day, more arrive at the border with hopes that their asylum cases might be heard. Caught between hardline immigration policy and international humanitarian law, most migrants at the border are deported to a potentially lethal fate, while others wait in limbo in Mexico.

NO SEPARATE SURVIVAL is a participatory documentary film and community project that offers asylum seekers a chance to get behind the camera and share their perspectives as storytellers. What brought them to risk it all? What future do they dream about? What responsibility do we hold to each other across borders?

Founded in 1971 by a collective of visionary women, The Women’s Building (TWB) began as an incubator for emerging women-led projects in the Bay Area. In 1979, the group acquired and transformed Dovre Hall into the first women-owned and operated community center in the country. Today, TWB continues to serve as a hub for organizing, healing, and community connection. Its mission is rooted in a feminist intersectional vision that links personal experiences to broader systems of change. The space remains a vital anchor for movements advancing gender, racial, and economic justice. Each year, TWB serves approximately 4,000 clients—primarily low-income immigrant women and LGBTQIA+ individuals. The majority of those served are Spanish-speaking newcomers from Central and South America. TWB centers those most impacted by systemic discrimination, offering services and programs that reflect a commitment to equity, access, and collective care. Every effort reinforces the belief that women’s spaces are essential—not optional—for building a just and inclusive future for all.