Our guest is Patricia Kocherscheidt, a menopause counselor and board member of the German Association for Menopause Counseling (Deutscher Verband für Wechseljahreberatung e.V.). She will introduce the film and be available for a discussion with the audience afterward. 

Filmmaker Louise Unmack Kjeldsen embarks on an emotional journey into the mystery of menopause. Louise and other women affected by menopause from around the world speak openly about their experiences with severe menopausal symptoms. Although half of the world’s population goes through menopause and many women suffer to the extent that their daily lives are severely impaired, this phase of life remains largely unexplored. For centuries, historical prejudices contributed to many affected women suffering in silence, and knowledge remains limited to this day. Now, researchers worldwide are seeking answers to understand the effects of declining estrogen on the body and brain. Why do four out of five women experience hot flashes, and more than a quarter suffer from sleep disturbances? Why do 41 percent struggle with memory problems? Why does the 45-to-54 age group have the highest suicide rate? How are menopausal symptoms linked to women’s threefold higher risk of Alzheimer’s and depression? What options are available to counteract these effects? 

“My New Old Self” is intended as an intervention against the silence and against the cultural devaluation of aging female bodies. It breaks taboos, debunks myths and misinformation, and sheds new light on menopause. 

Tickets are 9 euros, 8 euros for seniors, and 7 euros with the Wiesbaden Film Art Card. They are available online at www.wiesbaden.de/caligari (opens in a new tab) or at the box office at the Caligari FilmBühne, Marktplatz 9.