Making of WATER ANGEL: Impact, Care, and Maternal Justice with Nijla Mu’min & Maegan L. Philmore
Show Notes:
In this moving episode of The Slow Dive, host Farida Rafique sits down with the creative team behind Water Angel, writer/director Nijla Baseema Mu’min and producer Maegan L. Philmore for a robust conversation on storytelling, advocacy, and maternal health justice.
Together, they explore systemic inequities in maternal healthcare, particularly the disproportionate risks faced by Black women, unpacking the historical roots of medical racism and the emotional weight of bringing such an urgent story to the screen. They reflect on the film’s reception, the role of community screenings, and how true impact is measured through empathy, connection, and the conversations a film sparks.
The conversation also widens to their creative journeys, collaboration in the film industry, and the importance of grounding, mental health, and community care in impact-driven storytelling. This episode offers a thoughtful exploration of how film can bear witness, build empathy, and help reimagine systems in need of change.
Takeaways:
In this moving episode of The Slow Dive, host Farida Rafique sits down with the creative team behind the powerful film Water Angel: visionary writer/director Nijla Baseema Mu'min, and producer Maegan L. Philmore, for a layered conversation about storytelling, advocacy, and maternal health justice.
Together, they explore the systemic inequities in maternal healthcare, with a particular focus on the disproportionate risks faced by Black women. Nijla and Maegan unpack the historical roots of medical racism, personal experiences that shaped Water Angel, and the emotional toll of bringing such an urgent story to the screen. Throughout the conversation, empathy emerges as both a creative compass and a moral responsibility.
The episode also delves into the reception of Water Angel and its resonance with audiences, underscoring the importance of community screenings as spaces for dialogue, healing, and collective awareness. Nijla and Maegan share how impact, for them, is defined not by metrics alone, but by emotional connection, reflection, and the conversations a film ignites long after the credits roll.
Beyond Water Angel, the conversation widens to their individual creative journeys. Nijla reflects on her path as a filmmaker, including her debut feature Jinn, and the responsibility of shaping culture through narrative. Maegan speaks about her work as an activist storyteller and producer, and her commitment to centering underrepresented voices through her company, Hudson Philmore.
Together with Farida, they discuss collaboration in the film industry, the future of impact-driven storytelling, and the necessity of grounding, mental health, and community care within the creative process. This episode of The Slow Dive is a thoughtful, emotionally resonant exploration of how film can bear witness, build empathy, and help reimagine systems that urgently need change.
Watch WATER ANGEL
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMfeyUog4lo
ABOUT NIJLA MU’MIN
CALL TO ACTION: Watch WATER ANGEL (film on Black Maternal Health). https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wMfeyUog4lo
Nijla Mu'min: Writer/Director/Poet
Nijla Mu'min is a writer and filmmaker from the East Bay Area. Her work is informed by poetry, music, literature, and dance. Her debut feature film, Jinn, premiered at the 2018 SXSW Film Festival, where she won the Jury Recognition Award for Screenwriting. Jinn, a New York Times Critic’s pick, was released in 2018 by MGM. In 2019, she joined the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences.
She also directed a short film for Netflix, entitled Black Prom. She’s directed episodes of “Queen Sugar,” “Insecure,” “Swagger,” “Wu-Tang: An American Saga,” “All Rise,” and “Reasonable Doubt.” She is currently developing her second feature film, Noor. This year, her short film Water Angel, produced by the MTV Staying Alive Foundation, was released on Youtube and Paramount Plus. She is a dual-degree graduate of CalArts MFA Film Directing and Creative Writing Programs, and a graduate of UC Berkeley.
Instagram: @Nijla1
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/name/nm2831529/
Black Prom: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SOv5QMTyq1M
NYT Jinn Review: https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/05/movies/jinn-review.html
ABOUT MAEGAN L. PHILMORE
Maegan Philmore: Producer/ Unit Production Manager
Maegan La Trese Philmore is an activist storyteller based in Inglewood, California. She is the founder of Hudson Philmore, a production company dedicated to creating stories that challenge Hollywood’s exclusion and center womanist, queer, BIPOC, all-abilities, and all-sizes narratives. Maegan is currently developing a slate of innovative projects and recently served as Line Producer/Unit Production Manager on the Paramount+ film Water Angel (2025), written and directed by Nijla Mumin.
Hudson Philmore earned four awards for Soul Tie, which Maegan directed. The company’s other titles have screened at OutFest Fusion, Frameline, Afro Latino Film Festival, Bentonville, DisOrient Asian, Imagine This Women’s Film Festival, New Filmmakers Los Angeles, Los Angeles Black Film Festival, and more. Its first project, DOMestication, was featured at Chapman University’s Guggenheim Gallery.
A proud member of the Directors Guild of America (UPM), Maegan brings 20 years of production management experience across film, television, and digital media. She has served as Director of Production at Paramount and as a Production Executive at the NFL and YouTube Originals, overseeing budgets from $25K to $20M. Her credits include Naked and Afraid, Noah's Arc: The Movie, Binged to Death (executive produced by Will Packer), and the Emmy-winning Freedom Riders by Stanley Nelson.
Maegan serves on the Kaleido Collective steering committee, volunteers with LA Compost and Color of Change, and mentors emerging filmmakers. Above all, she treasures her role as the most devoted “titi” to her nephew, Tre.
IG @hudsonphilmore @feelingmoreofmaeg
