A part of the living in a world that is largely sexist is dealing with the dismissal of women’s health. Especially, women’s reproductive health. From periods to menopause, it’s unfortunate that a lot of us grew up with a lack of representation around these topics in mainstream films.
Yet, we are on the brink of an era that is starting to talk about menstruation and menopause in films. Though, even today, there truly isn’t enough mention of the subject, it is quite limited. Which is why we thought of compiling a list of movies and series that have made the effort of shedding light on menopause. Let’s take a look.
1. Bombay Begums
Bombay Begums received quite a lot of praise for its portrayal of strong women. And one of the things that made it such a real depiction of womanhood was Pooja Bhatt’s character Rani. A middle aged woman, working as a bank CEO in a male-dominated environment all while experiencing menopause.
2. Sex Education
In the second season of the show, we see Jean Milburn (Gillian Anderson) talk about menopause with her doctor. She tells the doctor that she thinks her exhaustion and several other symptoms are a sign of her being perimenopausal. Though the doctor tells her she’s probably just heart broken, Jean turns out to be right. Listen to women talking about their bodies people!
3. Fleabag
In the second season of Fleabag, the world saw Kristin Scott Thomas deliver a monologue that quickly went viral for its too relatable of a description of womanhood. In it, she talked about how relieving menopause can be, because well, no more periods, or childbirth! But of course, she does go on to add the downsides to the process as well!
And yes, your entire pelvic floor crumbles and you get f***ing hot and no one cares, but then you’re free, no longer a slave, no longer a machine with parts. You’re just a person.
-Kristin Scott Thomas
4. W@40
W@40 is a musical short film directed by Smitha Sathish. It shows the audience the emotional changes women undergo due to hormonal imbalances during menopause. And, how these changes impact their relationships with their loved ones.
5. MenoPause
MenoPause by Pratik Shah is a short film that discusses menopause from the sole perspective of the person experiencing it. The film takes the audience through everything that the main lead experiences as she takes care of everyone around her, but perhaps misses to take care of herself.
6. Better Things
Better Things shows us the story of Sam, a comedian and single mother of three daughters, who lives in Los Angeles. In the series’ season four finale we see her talk about being a woman and aging. Specifically about how people dislike talking about menopause and how that leads to a lack of awareness around it.
7. Workin’ Moms
A Canadian television sitcom, Workin’ Moms talks about topics such as postpartum depression and premenopausal symptoms while also showing the main leads navigating their careers and parenthood in the best way possible.
Apart from these, many years back we saw films and shows such as Something’s Gotta Give, Sex And The City and Shirley Valentine also mention menopause. And we’re so glad that they did, every step ahead counts.
While we’re grateful for these films and shows, we’re also in dire need of more that talk about menopause. So, keep ’em coming.
