Following the success of our first “Movie Night” centered on menopause, we naturally wanted to keep amplifying voices speaking up on these overlooked topics. It was in that spirit that, on Tuesday, March 3rd at Cinéma Moderne, Monthly Dignity hosted a screening of The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause | Perimenopause (A Film by Women in the Room Productions and Take Flight Productions). As with our first edition, the film was followed by a panel that wove together personal testimonies and professional insights, sparking exchanges as rich as they were inspiring.
Why perimenopause?
Last year, our evening on menopause demonstrated something important: when you create a space to talk about reproductive health, people show up and they have a lot to say. The feedback was telling: a real need for information, for recognition, and above all, to finally be heard about experiences that are too often minimized or dismissed.
Perimenopause is the stage that comes before – the one we talk about even less. Yet, it can stretch over years and turn everything upside down – sleep, work, relationships, self-image, etc.. The knowledge about this transition exists, but it is rarely passed on to us. We are not always given the space to speak about what we are living through, and places to do so freely are still far too rare. This film, and the evening built around it, was our way of addressing that and of opening a moment for exchange, sharing, and collective recognition.
The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause | Perimenopause is the second installment of an educational documentary produced by Women in the Room Productions and Take Flight Productions, directed by Denise Pines, Joe Lamarka Masseson and Tamsen Fadal. The (M) Factor, their first film, has reached over 50 countries since 2024. The film covers a lot of ground: brain fog, anxiety, hot flashes, sleep disruption, and mental health impacts. It also addresses hormonal treatments, cardiovascular and bone health, and, notably, the perspectives of men on what it means to support a partner through this transition.
For many in the audience, it was the first time their experiences were echoed on screen. And when the credits rolled, no one was in a rush to leave.
The panel
To close the evening, we wanted to accompany the screening with a discussion panel that was grounded in both professional expertise and lived experience. For us, and for the audience, it was important to bring together panelists who were in or had been through perimenopause, such that they could share their experiences, their fears, and their emotions around this subject. We invited:
Certified Coach | Performance Consultant | Multidisciplinary Artist
Kelly is a certified coach, performance consultant and multidisciplinary artist who has spent years navigating the complexity of chronic pain. After years of painful periods, an ultrasound revealed a potentially cancerous tumour. Kelly learned that she had endometriosis and became, reluctantly, an expert at navigating a medical system that too often prioritizes fertility over quality of life. Advocating for herself became a necessity. After two surgeries, she now stands to challenge biases, share the lessons she has learned, and help others demand the comprehensive support they deserve, wherever they are in their menstrual journey.
MDCM student, McGill University | Clinical Nurse | Co-founder of Havre Bene
A clinical nurse by training, Christleen brings over five years of experience in clinical settings, emergency care and family medicine, and is currently a medical school student at McGill. Committed to advancing women’s health, she has spoken on sexual health panels and served as VP of Events for the Women’s Health Symposium (IFMSA). She is particularly interested in the female hormonal journey, including perimenopause, with an approach rooted in active listening, equity and empowerment. She is also the co-founder of Havre Bene, an all-inclusive postpartum care centre offering 24/7 and multidisciplinary support for new parents.
Program Support, First Peoples Justice Center of Tiohtià:ke / Montréal
Suraya Fustukian, 45, is currently living through perimenopause. She entered this phase with very little knowledge of what it truly entails, and has spent the past several months educating herself on the different ways to manage symptoms. Perimenopause has deeply affected her personal and professional life, particularly when it comes to concentration and completing tasks she once handled with ease. She firmly believes that women deserve to be better informed about these changes.
A word that sets us free
The panelists were able to share their stories and knowledge, reflect on the film, answer questions from the audience, and simply listen, because that too was part of the goal: to offer a space where people felt free to speak about a subject still considered taboo.
The three panelists named what so many carry alone: the systemic misogyny within the medical world, which too often keeps women in the dark about their own bodies; the challenges faced by those who have undergone a hysterectomy, who are reduced to their reproductive capacity; and the importance of taking ownership of one’s health — especially, precisely, in the face of a system that fails us again and again.
Concrete tools also emerged. On the medical side: monitoring cholesterol and blood pressure regularly, two markers that can shift significantly during perimenopause. For navigating the system: preparing several questions before an appointment, bringing a trusted person along, setting the tone from the start of the consultation, and not hesitating to seek care elsewhere if you don’t feel heard. The panel also highlighted the importance of knowing resources suited to one’s reality, such as specialized clinics available to Indigenous people.
The workplace was raised too, with all its complexity: naming your symptoms risks being seen as less capable. Staying silent lets inequalities deepen in the shadows. There are no simple answers, but a collective conversation can no longer wait.
A note on the film
Transparency is part of how we work, especially when it comes to health. The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause | Perimenopause does important work in covering subjects that are often absent from conversations about perimenopause, and many of the points it raises are well-grounded: the impact of estrogen loss on cardiovascular and bone health, the importance of resistance training and high-impact exercise for bone health, the fact that perimenopause is diagnosed based on age and a constellation of symptoms rather than a single test, and the link between declining estrogen and increased risk of heart disease and cognitive decline.
That said, certain passages deserve a more critical review. Testosterone therapy is presented enthusiastically as a complementary treatment, even though it remains unapproved for women and its long-term benefits are still being documented. Recommendations around supplements like magnesium, vitamin D, B vitamins, iron and omega-3s are framed assertively without always acknowledging the limited studies carried out on their efficacity. The film also suggests that hormone therapy could prevent heart disease and dementia, which goes beyond its currently recognized uses. And while the film rightly notes the importance of bone density monitoring, some recommendations exceed standard clinical guidelines, such as regular DEXA scans starting at age 40.
That being said, these factors don’t negate the value of the film. It is simply an invitation to approach it as you would any health resource: with curiosity, critical thinking, and by consulting a professional for decisions that concern you. Our panel was there precisely to supplement that reflection.
An evening that builds connections
Leaving the room, the discussions continued, and new connections were made. A sense of understanding, of relief, having finally been in conversation with people who get it, who truly listen. People realizing they were not alone. Advice shared, experiences pooled, questions finally finding their way.
We are deeply grateful to have been able to organize this moment, and we were moved to have met such a warm audience and such inspiring people. These small steps – an event, a panel, a conversation in the hallway – matter. They open doors, build connections, and contribute, slowly but surely, to transforming the way we talk about reproductive health.
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