Marwa Consulting

📣 Learning & Practice Lab Phase 3: Pre-Production 📅 Two Part Webinar on Thurs Apr 16 & Thurs Feb 23 | 1-2pm ET DAWG and Marwa Consulting, LLC invite filmmakers into Learning & Practice Lab Phase 3: Pre-Production. This two-part webinar is developed and facilitated by Dr. Kameelah Mu’Min Oseguera. Ethical pre-production calls for identifying creative and decision-making partners who can deepen perspective, challenge blind spots, and reflect participants’ realities with care. Phase 3 asks a critical question: What must be designed now to ensure that care can be sustained under the pressures of production? Register by clicking the link in our bio!

📣 Learning & Practice Lab Phase 2: Research & Development 📅 Two Part Webinars on Thurs Feb 19 & Thurs Feb 26 | 1-2pm ET DAWG × Marwa Consulting invite filmmakers into Phase 2 of From Reflection to Release—where ethical intention becomes real-world practice. Facilitated by Dr. Kameelah Mu’Min Oseguera, this two-part lab focuses on building trust, transparency, and informed consent before the camera turns on. We’ll dig into: early relationship-building, clear communication about uncertainty/timelines, narrative risk (including archival violence and master narratives), and budgeting for care. Key question: What does it mean to earn trust—and resource care—before the story is ever told? Register by clicking the link in our bio!

The Documentary Accountability Working Group (DAWG) and Marwa Consulting, LLC are coming together for a new six-phase journey — From Reflection to Release — designed to help filmmakers, producers, and story practitioners build ethical, care-centered practices across every stage of nonfiction filmmaking. Developed and facilitated by Dr. Kameelah Mu’Min Oseguera (@drmamakam ), each phase pairs a live, interactive learning and practice lab with a self-guided workbook that translates the DAWG Framework into personal reflection, relational accountability, and actionable care. We begin with Phase 1: Reflection on November 6, asking the core question: Who are you in relation to the stories you tell? In a time when documentaries shape hearts and headlines, how we make the story matters as much as the story itself. Register today by clicking the link in our bio!

Jumuah Mubarak from the Land of Omar ibn Said!📿 Fouta Toro, Senegal Coppe Mangay 🇸🇳 📸: Laylah Barrayn @laylahb —— Omar ibn Said was a West African Muslim scholar born in Coppe Mangay, Fouta Toro, Senegal in 1770. He was a learned man who had spent 25 years engaged in deep Islamic study and scholarship. Said was kidnapped and enslaved in 1807 and forcefully brought to America. He lived most of his life on the Owen Plantation in Bladen County NC. During Said’s enslavement, he wrote his autobiography in Arabic, chronicling his life and education prior to enslavement. Said eventually wrote 14 manuscripts in Arabic over the course of his life; the most well-known being his autobiography, now housed at the Library of Congress in DC. This document is one of few enslaved narratives not written by or dictated to a white person or enslaver. It is the ONLY known account written in Arabic. Therefore the veracity of his account is likely free of interpretation through the white gaze. Said died, still enslaved, in Bladen County, NC in 1864. Ultimately, it was Omar ibn Said’s profound faith that provided him with peace, fortitude and courage to endure almost 60 years in bondage. Through the work of Muslim Wellness Foundation, Inc.’s Omar ibn Said Institute for Black Muslim Studies (established in 2021) and our partnership with Dr. Mamarame Seck of Cheikh Diop University, we have engaged in community based research with the people of Coppe - to tell the story of Omar and chronicle what it means to heal the wounds (on both sides of the Atlantic) caused by the violence of enslavement and colonization.

What can we learn about collective care… from Elephants. Just some reflections I wanted to share about this moment were in, and as God has said in the Quran “there are signs for those who reflect.” Here, one sign is of the practice of “alert circles” Elephants form in response to (real or perceived) danger. To center the young, vulnerable, and elders and for adult elephants to position themselves outward, on alert, ready to shield and defend. We need to be like the Elephants. We must circle up and create communities of safety. We must ask ourselves: Who is at the center of our circle(s)? Who is facing outward with courage and clarity? Who might we exclude or deem unworthy of protection? What would it look like for us to PLAN proactively for care protection, rather than REACT? Anyway… I’ll say/write more… for now, my 2.5 cents. Love Dr Mama Kam💜🌱

“I want to write down everything I know about being afraid, but I’d probably never have enough time to write anything else.” — Audre Lorde Afraid is not new—but its face shifts. Today it looks like the brutal beating and abduction of Palestinian filmmaker Hamdan Ballal, brutalized and violently abducted from his home, on the very land whose story he dared to tell. It looks like students and educators being surveilled, deported, silenced for speaking truth. It looks like fear dressed up as policy, censorship and repression of free speech masked as patriotism and civility. Still, we tell stories. We jettison cargo. We move light and fast. And we do not stop. Because afraid may be a country they hand us passports to at birth—but we were never meant to stay. #FreeHamdanBallal #StorytellingIsResistance #ProtectStudents #AudreLorde #CareIsTheWork #PalestineWillBeFree

Tuesday evening at AFS Cinema, we gathered for the second screening of UVALDE MOM at SXSW! Another spectacular moment (not a dry eye in the theater!) and thoughtful discussion. Angeli’s bravery—running into Robb Elementary to save her children—and Lavonne’s unwavering support remind us of the power of a mother’s love, resilience, and fight for justice against systemic discrimination. Their story is one that demands to be heard, and this film ensures that their voices will not be ignored. Marwa Consulting is honored to support participant care and ethical storytelling for this deeply impactful documentary from director @anayansi_prado . If you’re at SXSW, don’t miss the opportunity to witness this film and vote for audience award! 🎥 UVALDE MOM | SXSW 2025 📍 Fri March 14 - Film & TV Theater @ The Hyatt Regency, Austin, TX 📸 1: Dr. Kam and Angeli Gomez 📸 2: [l-r] Dr. Kam, Angeli Gomez and her mother Lavonne De Leon 📸 3: [l-r] Dr. Kam, Angeli Gomez and UVALDE MOM director Anayansi Prado #UvaldeMom #SXSW2025 #AFSCinema #MarwaConsulting #ParticipantCare #EthicalStorytelling #JusticeAndHealing #TraumaInformedFilmmaking #AngeliGomez #LavonneDeLeon #StorytellingWithImpact

So proud of the incredible UVALDE MOM director @anayansi_prado ! For a powerful premiere here at SXSW, AND for prioritizing participant care and overall well-being of all involved. Dr. Kam and Anayansi worked diligently in the weeks leading up to the premiere to prep participants, communicate around issues of safety, autonomy and boundaries, and collaborate with Austin based Selva Wellness Collective (@selvawellnesscollective ) for audience care. THIS is the Marwa Consulting CARE approach in action. Congrats again to Anayansi, the entire team and the brave storytellers for sharing their experiences with the world! 👏🏾💜🌱 #UvaldeMomPremiere #MarwaConsulting #EthicalFilmmaking #ParticipantCare

🎬 Marwa Consulting x UVALDE MOM at SXSW 🎬 We are honored to support the world premiere of UVALDE MOM at SXSW on Monday, 3/10—a powerful testament to a mother’s courage - and vulnerability - in the face of injustice. “Uvalde Mom” is a feature length documentary by filmmaker @anayansi_prado that tells the story of Angeli Rose Gomez, a farm worker and single mom who in May 2022 ran into Robb Elementary in Uvalde, TX to save her two sons during a mass shooting, while nearly 400 armed officers waited 77 minutes to intervene. When a video of her running out with her sons goes viral, Angeli highlights the inaction of law enforcement that day. However, she soon faces harassment from authorities, making her vulnerable due to her tumultuous past. As Angeli’s narrative unfolds, the Uvalde community demands accountability and change. Conflicting narratives emerge from authorities, and the U.S. Department of Justice launches an investigation. At Marwa Consulting, we are committed to participant care, ethical storytelling, and trauma-informed support for incredible films such as UVALDE MOM. If you’re at SXSW, don’t miss this important premiere! 📍 SXSW 2025 | Monday, March 10 🎟️ Check the SXSW schedule for screening details. #UvaldeMom #SXSW #SXSW2025 #MarwaConsulting #EthicalStorytelling #ParticipantCare #JusticeAndHealing #TraumaInformedFilmmaking #DocumentaryFilm #CAREApproach #AngeliGomez

Tip Tuesday: Centering CARE During Production 🎥 Filmmaking is fast-paced, high-pressure, and deeply immersive—especially during production. In the rush to capture compelling footage, it’s easy to overlook one of the most critical elements of ethical storytelling: participant well-being. 💡 CARE Tip for Production: Slow down and check in. Just because a participant consented once doesn’t mean they feel the same today. 💡 Before shooting, ask: ✅ “How are you feeling about sharing this today?” ✅”Would you like to pause or revisit this later?” ✅”Do you have any concerns about how this is being filmed?” Consent is an ongoing conversation, not a one-time agreement. Making space for participant agency ensures that stories are told with dignity, respect, and integrity. ✨ Filmmakers: What’s your go-to way to check in with participants? Drop a comment below! #TipTuesday #FilmmakerTips #CAREApproach #EthicalStorytelling #ParticipantCare #HealingCenteredFilmmaking #TraumaInformedFilmmaking #ConsentMatters #DocumentaryEthics #MarwaConsulting

Monday Musing: The Courage to Tell the Hard Truths 💡 “If you’re waiting for the right time, it’s now. Courage is not the absence of fear, or risk—it’s acting with integrity despite it.” Last night, No Other Land won Best Documentary Feature Film at the Oscars—a moment of recognition for a film that embodies truth-telling at its most urgent. It is also the first time a Palestinian filmmaker has won an Oscar. And yet, despite this monumental achievement, US distributors have refused to pick up the film. This film doesn’t just document reality in the occupied West Bank community of Masafer Yatta, it challenges dominant narratives that many would prefer to ignore. It is a testament to the power of authentic, honest storytelling—and the reality that those who dare to tell inconvenient truths often pay the price in access, resources, and visibility. If an Oscar win isn’t enough to secure wide distribution, what does that say about the forces at play in shaping the stories we see? 🎬 To the filmmakers of No Other Land—your courage is undeniable, and your work is necessary. To filmmakers and storytellers—NOW is ALWAYS the right time to speak truth to power. How are we holding space for stories that disrupt, challenge, and demand justice? #NoOtherLand #MondayMusing #EthicalStorytelling #CAREApproach #TruthTelling #DocumentaryFilmmaking #JusticeInStorytelling #FilmmakingWithIntegrity

The CARE Approach🌱💜 Transforming Filmmaking with Courage, Authenticity, Respect, and Empowerment To guide our work, we have developed the CARE framework, which embodies the values and practices we prioritize in our consultation services. CARE stands for Courage, Authenticity, Respect, and Empowerment—four pillars that shape how we approach collaboration, problem-solving, and the creation of spaces that center compassion, wisdom, dignity and healing. 🎥 Why Ethical Storytelling Needs CARE The CARE Approach is a healing-centered, trauma-informed framework designed to: Ensure participant well-being and ethical storytelling practices. Support creative teams navigating emotional labor and ethical dilemmas. Build accountability and integrity into every phase of filmmaking. 🎬 Unique to Marwa Consulting, the CARE Approach centers people, not just narratives. Marwa Consulting is here to support your creative journey with: CARE Consultations for ethical reflection and participant care. CARE Mediation to restore trust and resolve conflicts. Workshops on healing-centered storytelling for ethical integrity. 🔗 Swipe to learn how Marwa Consulting is redefining ethics, care, and accountability. 📩 DM us or Visit MarwaConsulting.com to learn more! 🌐 Link in Bio #MarwaConsulting #CAREApproach #EthicalStorytelling #ParticipantCare #HealingCentered #CreativeWellbeing #StorytellingWithIntegrity #FilmmakerSupport #DocumentaryEthics #EthicalAccountability #TraumaInformedStorytelling #HealingJustice #5ReasonsYouDeserveCARE