Who are we when everything changes? With scientific precision and personal openness, filmmaker Louise Unmack Kjeldsen embarks on an emotional journey into the mystery of menopause. She meets leading researchers and, together with women from around the world who are experiencing severe menopausal symptoms, openly shares their stories and experiences.

Although half of the world’s population experiences menopause, and many women suffer symptoms so severe that they significantly affect their daily lives, this stage of life remains largely under-researched. For centuries, historical prejudices have contributed to many women suffering in silence, leaving our understanding of menopause limited to this day. Now, researchers around the world are searching for answers to better understand the effects of declining estrogen levels on the body and brain.

Why do four out of five women experience hot flashes, while more than a quarter suffer from sleep disturbances? Why do 41 percent experience memory problems? Why does the 45–54 age group have the highest suicide rate? How are menopausal symptoms linked to women’s threefold higher risk of Alzheimer’s disease and to depression? And what can be done to counteract these effects? “Menopause Mystery” breaks taboos, exposes myths and misinformation, and sheds new light on menopause.

Film discussion with:
Miriam Stein (Journalist & Author)
Prof Dr. Claudia Barth (Biologist, Neuroscientist at Charité Berlin)