“The M Factor: Shredding the Silence on Menopause” premieres Thursday,  October 17 on PBS (check local listings), in advance of World Menopause Day. Executive producer and Emmy Award-winning journalist Tamsen Fadal explains why the film is “a movement” for women.

What was the genesis of the documentary?

We created it because we needed a global conversation. Conversations were happening in silos, behind closed doors and we can’t afford to be silent anymore.  The genesis: To Shred the Silence

 You describe it as “groundbreaking”- how so?

It is groundbreaking because it educates the women themselves, the doctors who treat them and their families who support them, not to mention the places where they work. This film is a movement for women across the world. It is a rallying call that we need change. 

We are kicking off that change by using the film to educate physicians, nurses, physician assistants including dentists because our goal is to educate everyone, yes, the women, but also the doctors they go to see. “The M Factor” film has become the first menopause film to be accredited as a Continuing Medical Education (CME) on the management and treatment of perimenopause and menopause. 

What do you think viewers will find most surprising?

I think viewers will find themselves listened to but at the same time, angry – that they have had to be silent for so long due to the lack of knowledge in the healthcare system and a lack of research.