The M Factor 2: Before the Pause

The M Factor 2: Before the Pause reveals the hidden reality of perimenopause, the overlooked decade before menopause that disrupts women's health, careers, and relationships. The film confronts stigma, inequities, and health risks while highlighting solutions, showing how early awareness and innovative, personalized treatments and well-informed physicians can transform women's lives.

Anchored by intimate, character-driven stories, as well as testimonies from leading medical experts, the film begins with a public school teacher whose brain fog and sleeplessness collide with a full classroom, only to be told by her doctor that it is "all in your head". Meanwhile, a firefighter confronts heavy bleeding and hot flashes on shift— without a women's bathroom in sight— while running into burning buildings and institutional indifference. Additionally, clinicians themselves admit the blind spot: most received little to no training in perimenopause and are now scrambling to catch up to their patients, whose awareness has risen sharply due to the influence of conversations taking place on social media. The cameras also turn toward partners and spouses who grapple with mood shifts, reduced intimacy, and their own feelings of helplessness in supporting their loved ones.

Through these intersecting lives, the film maps symptoms against real-world stakes: stalled careers, strained families, and missed diagnoses that escalate long-term risks for heart, bone, brain, and mental health. It also confronts the equity gap head-on by spotlighting how Black, Latina, and Asian women often experience earlier onset, more severe symptoms, and increased barriers to competent care.

The M Factor 2 is ultimately a story of agency, as women reclaim the language of their bodies; doctors rethink outdated play books rooted in decades-old misinformation; and a new wave of solutions emerges— from evidence-based care and workplace policy to femtech tools that help women track, validate, and individualize treatment in concert with care providers. With millions entering this transitional period ever year, Before the Pause illuminates what so many have endured and shows how women and those who care for them can move forward.

FILMMAKER'S STATEMENT: "The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause taught us the huge benefits of recognizing symptoms early, when you're in perimenopause. The problem is that most women, and even many doctors, do not know the definition of perimenopause. We saw a clear need for better explanation, and that's when The M Factor 2: Before the Pause was born. In that film, doctors and experts weigh in on bone, brain, and heart health, and how to get ahead of perimenopause before it gets the best of you.

Our mission is ensuring these life stages are met with knowledge, resources, and equity."

Preview link available upon request. Contact [email protected] for more information

A Film by Jacoba Atlas, Tamsen Fadal, Denise Pines, and Joanne Lamarca Mathisen

54 minutes

Scene Selection • Closed Captioned

Grades 10 - Adult

Item #: MFT-2088

Explores the hidden decade of perimenopause through the voices of women, partners, and doctors

Starting at $99

Licensing Options

K-12 Classroom, Public Libraries: DVD - $99 K-12 Classroom, Public Libraries DVD + Digital File - $149 Colleges, Businesses, and Institutions: DVD - $395 Colleges, Businesses, and Institutions: DVD with Digital Site License - $495 Colleges, Businesses, and Institutions: DVD with Digital Site License (hosted) - $595 K-12 School District pricing available. Please inquire at [email protected] Community Screenings: Please Complete 'Host a Screening' Form found on top menu bar

The item you are trying to purchase is currently out of stock.
Please enter your name, email, and phone number below.
We will contact you as soon as this product is available.

Name: *

Email: *

Phone: *

Verification: *

Type the word above...

Reviews and Festivals

Broadcast on PBS

"The medical community, from students to seasoned practitioners as well as those outside the profession, will benefit from the film's matter-of-fact delivery and science-backed research to increase awareness, empathy, and support of patients, friends, and loved ones experiencing this life transition... Removes the veil of shame surrounding women's health and advocates for a higher quality of healthcare and life which women have been denied for too long. Recommended."

— Maureen Weinman, SUNY Geneseo for Educational Media Reviews Online

"Fantastic— educational, empowering, and exactly the conversation women deserve."

— Alessia Roehnelt, MD, Endocrinologist

"Sparks the conversations so many women wish had started sooner."

— Dr. Jila Senemar, MD, FACOG, MSCP

"A powerful follow-up documentary that continues the conversation around perimenopause and menopause. The film shines a light on the real experiences of women navigating hormonal changes and the wide range of physical, emotional, and cognitive symptoms that can come with this stage of life."

— Solace Psychology & Wellness

"A masterpiece in education and storytelling. It's powerful, necessary viewing."

— Heidi Davis, co-founder/CEO, identifyHer

"Great to see the documentary talk about the link between Alzheimer's and menopause, how perimenopause systems are early indicators for cardiovascular disease and the lifting of the FDA black box for HRT... Definitely a great resource."

— Maaike Steinebach, entrepreneur, FemTech Future

"An important film on perimenopause that women and men should watch."

— Michael Clinton, founder/CEO, ROAR Forward

WINNER

Pan African Film Festival, Best Short Documentary

International New York Film Festival, Diamond Globe Award

California Women's Film Festival (Winter)

OFFICIAL SELECTION

Spirit Film Festival

Item In Cart

Birthing Justice

Starting at $89

Select Options

Item In Cart

The Climate Baby Dilemma

Starting at $79

Select Options

Item In Cart

1001 Cuts

Starting at $79

Select Options

Item In Cart

The M Factor

Starting at $99

Select Options

The M Factor 2: Before the Pause

Select License (limited Public Performance Rights included)

Reviews and Festivals

related films

related subjects

The M Factor 2: Before the Pause

Select License (limited Public Performance Rights included)

Reviews and Festivals

related films

related subjects

Sign Up to Receive News & Updates

Lists*