film screening and INTERACTIVE Q&A
The perimenopause conversation Waterloo has been waiting for.
Perimenopause is one of the least understood chapters in women's health. This afternoon is our answer to that. A current film, a panel of practitioners ready to answer your questions, and a community of women and local businesses showing up for the conversation.
Saturday, May 30 · Doors 12:30pm · Princess Twin Cinemas, Waterloo
- LANGUAGE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN FEELING
- CONTEXT MOST APPOINTMENTS SKIP
- LOCAL WOMEN, AND BUSINESSES GATHERING TOGETHER
- MAY 30 IN WATERLOO
- LANGUAGE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN FEELING
- CONTEXT MOST APPOINTMENTS SKIP
- LOCAL WOMEN, AND BUSINESSES GATHERING TOGETHER
- MAY 30 IN WATERLOO
- LANGUAGE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN FEELING
- CONTEXT MOST APPOINTMENTS SKIP
- LOCAL WOMEN, AND BUSINESSES GATHERING TOGETHER
- MAY 30 IN WATERLOO
Every woman goes through perimenopause, and yet almost no one is talking about it.
It affects your cycle, your sleep, your mood, the way your body responds to stress and food. And yet most appointments skip past it, most practitioners are not trained to name it clearly, and even friends in the middle of the same shifts struggle to find language for what they're experiencing.
This AFTERNOON is about gaining clarity.
Last year's sold-out menopause event made one thing very clear. Women were ready for more of this conversation.
Before the Pause continues the work, turning the lens earlier to the years most women navigate without a roadmap.
– Dr. kristijana rakic, nd
About the Film
The (M) Factor 2: Before the Pause is the documentary the producers describe as an effort toward validation, visibility, and prevention. From the team behind the original award-winning (M) Factor, this second installment focuses on the years preceding menopause, when most women are dismissed, misdiagnosed, or told they are too young for what they are experiencing.
The film features leading physicians, researchers, and women whose stories will be recognizable in most rooms. It is fifty-five minutes of the clearest, most current information on perimenopause available today.
"We are starting this conversation earlier at 35, not 50. Too many women are told they are too young or are misdiagnosed. This film is about validation, visibility, and prevention." — The Producers, The (M) Factor
Saturday, May 30 · 1PM Screening
Princess Twin Cinemas · Uptown Waterloo
Followed by a live panel discussion with local women's health practitioners
and community partners.
EVENT DETAILS
The Shape of the Afternoon
The Film
Doors open at 12:30pm and the film begins at 1:00pm. The film runs fifty-five minutes and brings together leading physicians, researchers, and women whose stories will be recognizable to most in the room.
The Q&A
Following the screening, local expert practitioners take questions from the room. Additional guest panelists will be announced in the coming weeks. This is the portion of the afternoon most women describe as the reason they came. No topic is off the table.
The Connections
Come early to browse, stay after to shop, and take the conversation the film and panel will have started into a less formal space. Local small businesses and the women you will have just sat beside for an afternoon.
Practitioners who work with women in perimenopause every day.
Plus additional guest panelists and community partners,
announced in the coming weeks.
DR. KRISTIJANA RAKIC, ND
Dr. K works with women in perimenopause and menopause, addressing hormone imbalance, metabolic change, and the cognitive and energy shifts that often arrive without explanation.
GLORIA VAUGHAN, FMHC
Gloria has spent over twenty years coaching women through weight loss resistance, a path she has walked herself. Her work goes beyond the number on the scale, restoring metabolism, energy, and the confidence to hold both.
DR. ERICA BEHR, ND
Dr. Erica works with women who are beginning to notice the shifts, often years before anyone names it perimenopause. Her practice is built on creating a space where women feel equipped to advocate for their health.
Community Giveback
Proceeds from this event are donated to Women's Crisis Services of Waterloo Region, extending the reach of the afternoon beyond the women in the room. Your ticket contributes to a local organization supporting women in crisis across the region.
Have a question?
Don't see your question below? Send us an email at community@fmuptown.com and we will be in touch.
How long is the event, and what does it include?
The full afternoon runs approximately three hours. The film is fifty-five minutes, the live Q&A runs just over an hour, and the lobby remains open before and after for shopping with local businesses and conversation. Your $30 ticket covers all three, and proceeds are donated to Women's Crisis Services of Waterloo Region.
How do I ask questions during the Q&A?
There are two ways to ask. You're welcome to submit your question ahead of time using this form. Our panel will review every submission before the event. Microphones will also circulate during the Q&A, and last year's event showed us how valuable the real-time back-and-forth can become between women in the room and the panelists. No topic is off the table.
Is this event for women only?
The content is directed toward women, but partners and supportive men are welcome. Perimenopause affects households, not just individuals, and we are also exploring a future event specifically for the men in your life.
What if I can't make it after I buy my ticket?
Tickets are non-refundable but fully transferable. If something comes up, pass your ticket to a friend who would benefit, or email community@fmuptown.com to transfer your registration.
- LANGUAGE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN FEELING
- CONTEXT MOST APPOINTMENTS SKIP
- LOCAL WOMEN, AND BUSINESSES GATHERING TOGETHER
- MAY 30 IN WATERLOO
- LANGUAGE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN FEELING
- CONTEXT MOST APPOINTMENTS SKIP
- LOCAL WOMEN, AND BUSINESSES GATHERING TOGETHER
- MAY 30 IN WATERLOO
- LANGUAGE FOR WHAT YOU HAVE BEEN FEELING
- CONTEXT MOST APPOINTMENTS SKIP
- LOCAL WOMEN, AND BUSINESSES GATHERING TOGETHER
- MAY 30 IN WATERLOO
What becomes possible when we open up the conversation.
Imagine sitting in a room of over one hundred women who've been quietly asking the same questions you have.
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Language that names the experiences most women have not had the words for |
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Answers to the questions you've been researching late at night |
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A clearer sense of what to expect and a framework for the next decade |
An afternoon built for you
Saturday, May 30 in Waterloo
The film, the panel, and the conversation women have been waiting for, all under one roof at Princess Twin Cinemas.
$30 · Princess Twin Cinemas · Proceeds support Women's Crisis Services of Waterloo Region.
