Steven Spielberg, one of the most famous filmmakers in the world, will be the subject of a new documentary SPIELBERG that will debut exclusively on HBO on Saturday, October 7, 2017. Directed and produced by award-winning documentarian Susan Lacy, the feature-length documentary examines Spielberg’s filmography in depth, revealing how his experiences fed his work and changed it over time.
Steven Spielberg has built an unrivaled catalogue of groundbreaking films over the course of his nearly 50-year career. Charting the evolution of this iconic figure, Lacy draws on nearly 30 hours of exclusive interviews with the director, who opens up about his bittersweet childhood and lifelong obsession with moviemaking, his precocious early work as a TV “wunderkind,” his rise to fame through an incredible string of blockbusters, his later forays into more serious dramatic films, and the personal and professional relationships he’s cultivated through the years.
SPIELBERG also includes insights from members of Spielberg’s family, as well as friends and colleagues, plus clips and behind-the-scenes footage from many of his milestone films, including “Jaws,” “Raiders of the Lost Arc,” “ET: The Extra-Terrestrial,” “Jurassic Park,” “Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Bridge of Spies” and many more.
Lacy interviewed more than 80 subjects for the film, ranging from A-list celebrities, to directors and producers, to industry insiders, including J.J. Abrams, Christian Bale, Drew Barrymore, Cate Blanchett, Francis Ford Coppola, Daniel Craig, Daniel Day-Lewis, Brian de Palma, Laura Dern, Leonardo DiCaprio, Richard Dreyfuss, Ralph Fiennes, Harrison Ford, David Geffen, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Holly Hunter, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Ben Kingsley, Kathleen Kennedy, George Lucas, Liam Neeson, Martin Scorsese, Oprah Winfrey and Robert Zemeckis.
The result is a remarkably intimate portrait that combines Spielberg’s compelling first-person narrative with an in-depth exploration of the creative process and craftsmanship that have set him apart, highlighting themes such as separation, reconciliation, patriotism, humanity and wonder, which recur throughout his work.
Susan Lacy is the creator and former executive producer of the celebrated WNET series “American Masters,” which is shown on PBS nationwide. She has won countless awards, including ten Primetime Emmys(R) for Outstanding Documentary Series and 12 Peabody Awards. As executive producer of “American Masters,” Lacy produced a library of 250 films exploring the lives of America’s most enduring cultural icons, from Charlie Chaplin to James Baldwin to Bob Dylan. She has also directed films on subjects as diverse as Leonard Bernstein, David Geffen, Joni Mitchell, Judy Garland, Paul Simon, Rod Serling and Lena Horne.Documentary
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SPIELBERG, New Documentary on Famous Director to Debut on HBO
Steven Spielberg, one of the most famous filmmakers in the world, will be the subject of a new documentary SPIELBERG that will debut exclusively on HBO on Saturday, October 7, 2017. Directed and produced by award-winning documentarian Susan Lacy, the feature-length documentary examines Spielberg’s filmography in depth, revealing how his experiences fed his work and changed it over time.
Steven Spielberg has built an unrivaled catalogue of groundbreaking films over the course of his nearly 50-year career. Charting the evolution of this iconic figure, Lacy draws on nearly 30 hours of exclusive interviews with the director, who opens up about his bittersweet childhood and lifelong obsession with moviemaking, his precocious early work as a TV “wunderkind,” his rise to fame through an incredible string of blockbusters, his later forays into more serious dramatic films, and the personal and professional relationships he’s cultivated through the years.
SPIELBERG also includes insights from members of Spielberg’s family, as well as friends and colleagues, plus clips and behind-the-scenes footage from many of his milestone films, including “Jaws,” “Raiders of the Lost Arc,” “ET: The Extra-Terrestrial,” “Jurassic Park,” “Schindler’s List,” “Saving Private Ryan,” “Bridge of Spies” and many more.
Lacy interviewed more than 80 subjects for the film, ranging from A-list celebrities, to directors and producers, to industry insiders, including J.J. Abrams, Christian Bale, Drew Barrymore, Cate Blanchett, Francis Ford Coppola, Daniel Craig, Daniel Day-Lewis, Brian de Palma, Laura Dern, Leonardo DiCaprio, Richard Dreyfuss, Ralph Fiennes, Harrison Ford, David Geffen, Tom Hanks, Dustin Hoffman, Holly Hunter, Jeffrey Katzenberg, Ben Kingsley, Kathleen Kennedy, George Lucas, Liam Neeson, Martin Scorsese, Oprah Winfrey and Robert Zemeckis.
The result is a remarkably intimate portrait that combines Spielberg’s compelling first-person narrative with an in-depth exploration of the creative process and craftsmanship that have set him apart, highlighting themes such as separation, reconciliation, patriotism, humanity and wonder, which recur throughout his work.
Susan Lacy is the creator and former executive producer of the celebrated WNET series “American Masters,” which is shown on PBS nationwide. She has won countless awards, including ten Primetime Emmys(R) for Outstanding Documentary Series and 12 Peabody Awards. As executive producer of “American Masters,” Lacy produced a library of 250 films exploring the lives of America’s most enduring cultural icons, from Charlie Chaplin to James Baldwin to Bob Dylan. She has also directed films on subjects as diverse as Leonard Bernstein, David Geffen, Joni Mitchell, Judy Garland, Paul Simon, Rod Serling and Lena Horne.
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Human Trafficking Documentary Thriller THE WRONG LIGHT In Theaters July 14th | Trailer
The Wrong Light, a documentary thriller set in Northern Thailand on harrowing tales of girls rescued by hero that fall apart, will open in theaters on Friday, July 14th, 2017.in New York at Cinema Village, and on Friday, July 21, 2017 in Los Angeles at Laemmle’s Monica Film Center.
The film directed by Josie Swantek Heitz and Dave Adams won the Grand Jury Prize – NJ Films at the Montclair Film Festival.
Amidst growing international concern about human trafficking, a nonprofit organization named COSA was founded in 2005 by Mickey Choothesa with the stated mission of serving as a refuge for at-risk and trafficked girls in Northern Thailand. Mickey, a self-described war photographer-turned-activist with an “upstream” prevention approach to trafficking, promoted COSA as a sanctuary providing educational opportunities for young girls. His work drew international donors, a steady stream of western visitors, and global press attention.
Filmmakers Josie Swantek Heitz and Dave Adams were fascinated by the story of two young girls who had been sold into the sex trade by their parents and were later rescued by COSA. They believed they had found a harrowing and uplifting story of heroism worthy of a feature-length documentary. With this in mind, they traveled to Thailand where they interviewed many of the rescued girls at COSA and travelled to their villages to speak with their families.
Unexpectedly, their conversations with both the girls and their families contradicted Mickey’s version of their stories, making the truth that much more elusive. Reluctantly, they became subjects in the film, revealing the story as it unfolded for them. THE WRONG LIGHT is the fascinating and troubling account of their quest to find answers and tell the real story of COSA, its work, and its impact on the young girls.
Who is Mickey Choothesa? Who are these girls? And who is responsible for their representation and exploitation?
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30 for 30 Documentary GEORGE BEST: ALL BY HIMSELF Sets ESPN Air Date | Trailer
The 30 for 30 documentary, “George Best: All by Himself,” directed by BAFTA award-winning director Daniel Gordon (Hillsborough), recounts the tale of the beloved but bedeviled soccer superstar George Best.
The film will debut on Tuesday, July 20 at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN leading into the Manchester United vs Manchester City game.
He was one of the best soccer players of all time; a handsome, charismatic lad from Belfast, Northern Ireland, who worked wonders with the ball and thrilled Great Britain. But George Best was also the lead in a Shakespearean tragedy fueled by drink and excess and depression. This 30 for 30 film tells his story through evocative footage and testimony by those who knew him at his best – and at his worst.
There’s a lot of ground to cover – from his electric debut with Manchester United at the age of 17, through the glory years that brought ManU the 1968 European Cup, to his adventures in the North American Soccer League. “George Best: All by Himself” will make viewers understand why an estimated quarter million people lined the route of his funeral cortege in 2005.
“I wanted to make a film that dug beneath the surface of the caricature of ‘Britain’s First Pop Star Soccer Player’ and tell a tale of emotional depth that takes us on George’s rollercoaster journey of a life,” said director Daniel Gordon. “This is a cautionary tale. It is a story of addiction and what can happen to someone who has so much at such a young age, who reaches unimaginable heights – and then hits the ‘self-destruct’ button throughout the rest of his descent to rock bottom.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvU3xW1QjCY
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Poster + Watch Trailer for Award Winning Documentary ICARUS
Netflix has released the trailer and poster for Bryan Fogel’s award winning documentary Icarus, set to launch globally on Netflix on August 4, 2017.
In the audacious documentary Icarus, director Bryan Fogel’s bold gambit was this: to investigate doping in sports, Fogel (an amateur bike racer) would dope himself, observe the changes in his performance, and see if he could evade detection. In doing so, he was connected to a renegade Russian scientist, Dr. Grigory Rodchenkov, a pillar of his country’s “anti-doping” program. Over dozens of Skype calls, urine samples, and badly administered hormone injections, Fogel and Rodchenkov grow closer despite shocking allegations that place Rodchenkov at the center of Russia’s state-sponsored Olympic doping program.
When the truth is more complex than imagined, and accusations of illegalities run to Russia’s highest chains of command, the two realize they hold the power to reveal the biggest international sports scandal in living memory. Exemplifying the special bond between filmmaker and subject, this is a vital portrait of the sacrifice some people will make to stand up for truth. Icarus places you at the heart of an international game of cat and mouse, where a miscalculation can cost you your life.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXoRdSTrR-4
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Actress Kristen Bell Records New Song “Tell Me How Long” for CHASING CORAL
Actress and singer Kristen Bell has recorded a new song “Tell Me How Long” for the upcoming original documentary Chasing Coral, directed by Jeff Orlowski. Written by Dan Romer and Teddy Geiger, the song is a rousing plea about the climate crisis and the devastating phenomenon silently raging underwater – the global bleaching of coral reefs.
“I was moved and inspired by Chasing Coral and its message of hope for our planet’s future,” said Kristen Bell. “I feel a responsibility to care for the Earth in whatever way I can and I was honored to lend my voice to the original song. As we strive to make a better world for our children, I hope this film will ignite real action in advancing climate solutions in our global communities.”
Romer’s previous film scores include the Oscar-nominated Beasts of the Southern Wild, Gleason, Finders Keepers, and the Emmy-winning Jim: The James Foley Story. “Tell Me How Long” co-writer Teddy Geiger is a singer-songwriter and producer, known for his compositions “Stitches”, “Treat You Better”, “Mercy”, and “There’s Nothing Holdin’ Me Back”.
Orlowski’s previous film, Chasing Ice, received an Academy Award-nomination for Best Original Song for “Before My Time”, written by J. Ralph and performed by Scarlett Johansson and Joshua Bell.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b6fHA9R2cKI
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VIDEO: Watch Trailer for Netflix Docu Series DAUGHTERS OF DESTINY
Netflix has released the trailer for the documentary series Daughters of Destiny directed by Oscar(R) winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth, set to launch globally on July 28, 2017.
Daughters of Destiny is a 4-part Netflix original documentary series that chronicles the lives of five girls from Indian families who are among the so-called “Dalit” caste and most impoverished communities in the world. The series witnesses the girls grow up (ranging in age from 7 to 23 over the course of the 4 episodes) while they are raised at Shanti Bhavan, a unique co-ed residential school in Tamil Nadu. The expectation for these girls and all the children who attend Shanti Bhavan is that they must grow up to support themselves, lift their families and communities out of poverty and contribute to the larger world.
Directed by Academy Award(R) winning filmmaker Vanessa Roth (Freeheld, Best Documentary Short, 2007), the series highlights the struggle of students as they strive to define themselves, re-define gender and class and create a new future for the generations that will come after them. The strength and power of the girls’ own storytelling and dramatic experiences over the 7 years of filming from the gates of Shanti Bhav, into their homes brings viewers through their stories of family, love, loss, hard work and courage. An original music score by Academy Award(R) and Emmy winning composer A.R Rahman (Slumdog Millionaire, 2008), punctuates this emotional journey.
As we watch them grow up, they travel between home and school, and are forced to navigate the stark contrasts between family traditions and their modern and global views and knowledge. Daughters of Destiny highlights the journey of a generation of children on the precipice of a new life that is inconceivable to their ancestors, and brings into question the notions of fate, free will and the human longing for opportunity, purpose and meaning.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=b49QEQsNUj0
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LeBron James is Producing NBA Documentary Film Series for Showtime
LeBron James along with Maverick Carter and award-winning filmmaker Gotham Chopra have begun production on a three-part documentary film series on the NBA that is slated to premiere on SHOWTIME in 2018.
The project will examine the modern history of the National Basketball Association and the league’s impact on global popular culture.
“We are thrilled to be collaborating with LeBron, Maverick and Gotham on what will be a comprehensive look at one of the most influential sports institutions in the world,” said Stephen Espinoza, Executive Vice President and General Manager, SHOWTIME Sports. “This series of films will join a growing list of must-see documentaries on SHOWTIME, films that reveal the myriad ways sports and culture intersect and influence each other.”
“We developed the idea for these films because of the incredible, generational impact some of the NBA’s most successful players have had on every aspect of American culture,” said Maverick Carter, CEO of SpringHill Entertainment. “Gotham is the perfect filmmaker to bring these stories to life, and SHOWTIME is the right platform to showcase how they were able to transcend the game and shape the culture in an unprecedented way.”
“Despite the fact that I am a Boston Celtics fan to the bone, collaborating with Maverick and LeBron was an inspired opportunity,” added Chopra (“Kobe Bryant’s Muse”, “Religion of Sports”). “Sports in general and specifically the NBA provide a great backdrop for storytelling. But these films offer us a chance to go beyond that; to weave a broader cultural narrative in our current social climate. With the support of David Nevins and the progressive SHOWTIME team, we have a chance to say something truly resonant. That’s the goal.”
The documentary film series is a presentation of SHOWTIME Documentary Films and SHOWTIME Sports. The film project is directed by Gotham Chopra with executive producers LeBron James, Maverick Carter, Rich Paul, Gotham Chopra, Martin Desmond Roe, Chris Uetwiller and Datari Turner.
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Documentary SWIM TEAM on Competitive Swim Team of Teens on Autism Spectrum Sets Release Date | Trailer
The award-winning feature documentary Swim Team, directed by Lara Stolman, chronicles the rise of a competitive swim team in New Jersey made up of diverse teenagers on the autism spectrum.
The film will be released in theaters this July, opening in New York on July 7th, 2017 and in Los Angeless on July 21, 2017; and will have its national TV debut during PBS POV’s 30th season on Monday, October 2, 2017.
Swim Team is a feature documentary chronicling the rise of a competitive swim team made up of teenagers on the autism spectrum. Based in Perth Amboy, New Jersey, the cast of Swim Team is largely Latino and Asian, minorities that are underrepresented in competitive swimming and underserved in autism intervention and education.
The film follows three of the team’s star athletes, boys on the cusp of adulthood as they face a future of exclusion and dependence. But everything changes when they come together as a team with parent coaches who train them with high expectations and zero pity. As the team vies for state and national Special Olympics championships, Swim Team captures a moving quest for inclusion, independence and a life that feels winning.
“When people ask me how I found the story of Swim Team, I say it found me. Children with developmental disabilities are routinely excluded from community activities, often as early as preschool. Being told “no,” – your child can’t be in the regular class, your child wont keep up in little league, your child isn’t going to college – is something families caring for children with disabilities hear often.
Since children on the spectrum are particularly prone to drowning, swimming is a crucial skill but it’s not easy to find appropriate teachers and programs willing to take on a child on the autism spectrum. While exploring swim lessons for my own children, I stumbled upon the Jersey Hammerheads team in formation recruiting children on the autism spectrum and I was immediately struck by the energy and optimism of the families that were coming together to form the team. Some of the kids were teenagers and had never been on a sports team before. And some couldn’t yet swim.
With the Hammerheads families, I had found a group of parents who refused to take no for an answer. They were saying YES and as a community, it was galvanizing for them. As a mother, I was so personally inspired by what they hoped to accomplish, I knew I had to share their story. I hope my film provides inspiration for families everywhere raising children with unanticipated challenges.”
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ALMOST SUNRISE Award-Winning Documentary on Veterans “Moral Injury” Opens July 14 in NY | Trailer
Almost Sunrise, a feature documentary by the award-winning filmmaking team behind Give Up Tomorrow (a 2013 News & Documentary Emmy nominee) Michael Collins (director) and Marty Syjuco (producer), is a timely and groundbreaking look at what could be a missing piece of the puzzle—the true nature of the psychological wounds of returning soldiers known as “moral injury” and the undeniable potential power of meditation and nature therapy in helping veterans to reclaim their lives.
As part of the film’s week-long theatrical release at IFC Center in New York, Collins and Syjuco along with Tom Voss and Anthony Anderson, the subjects of Almost Sunrise, will participate in a Q&A at a special screening on opening night, Friday, July 14 (time TBD), and throughout the film’s opening weekend.
Almost Sunrise tells the inspiring story of Voss and Anderson, two Iraq veterans, who, in an attempt to put their haunting combat experience behind, embark on an extraordinary 2,700-mile trek on foot across America. While the physical trek across snowy mountains and vast deserts is punishing, the inner journey proves to be, by far, the most dangerous mission they will ever undertake. Like many of their fellow returned servicemen and women, Tom and Anthony are tackling post traumatic stress, or PTS, but the pair are simultaneously dealing with an unseen battle scar called “moral injury”—often manifested as an extreme brand of guilt and shame that arises when one goes against one’s own moral code. While PTS, characterized by fear, can be treated with drugs, therapists are finding that no amount of medication can treat the pain that comes from carrying a moral burden. Almost Sunrise is the first feature documentary film to introduce the emerging term “moral injury,” what some experts believe may eventually be recognized as the signature war wound of our generation.
While the film exposes some of the brutality of war, it does not dwell there. “It’s ultimately a story of hope and potential solutions,” Collins says. Most importantly, the film reveals the promise of holistic practices for healing. When Tom signs up for a special breathing workshop for veterans, he must confront his deepest spiritual identity. He encounters Father Thomas Keating, a renowned Trappist monk who has counseled veterans for decades, who gently illuminates the need to turn inward to achieve true peace, guidance that culminates in a remarkable transformation, rarely depicted on screen. Where the stereotypes of “the broken veteran” and “homecoming hero” leave off, Almost Sunrise continues onward, presenting audiences with an unprecedented portrait of those who return from war; richer, far more complex beings—driven by a universal human aspiration for happiness—who discover life’s soaring possibilities.
“One of the main pillars of our Impact Campaign is ‘Connecting Communities,’ and every week we experience this in meaningful ways at screenings across the country,” says Syjuco. “Our vision for the campaign is to walk with veterans on a path towards healing by following these four pillars: 1. Educate on Moral Injury; 2. Promote Wellness; 3. Connect Communities; and 4. Change Legislation.”
Since making its World Premiere on Memorial Day 2016 at Telluride Mountainfilm Festival, where it also launched its immersive two-year Impact Campaign, Almost Sunrise has gone on to screen at impressive 125+ festival, community and live-event screenings across the country, including VA Hospitals and a special screening at the Wisconsin State Senate. University and academic screenings have included Harvard, Columbia, Georgetown, NYU, Stanford, Yale and International House NYC.
The many awards and accolades for Almost Sunrise include the 2017 Media Award for Best Film from the National Association of Social Workers (NASW)—social workers comprise highest number of staff at VA hospitals. At Telluride Mountainfilm, the film won the “Moving Mountains” Award, a top jury prize, which recognizes a film with a powerful social impact. It was also an official selection of the prestigious Human Rights Watch Film Festival, AFI Docs, and was the Centerpiece Presentation at Milwaukee Film Festival. It also took home the Audience Award at Reelworld Toronto and won Best Thought Provoking Film at Waimea Ocean Hawaii.
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Watch Trailer for Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine HBO Docu Series THE DEFIANT ONES
Here is the official trailer for The Defiant Ones, the four-part documentary series that tells the stories of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, their improbable partnership and their leading roles in a series of transformative events in contemporary culture. The series debut July 9 on HBO.
Set amid many of the defining events of the past four decades, this four-part documentary event tells the stories of Dr. Dre and Jimmy Iovine, their improbable partnership and their leading roles in a series of transformative events in contemporary culture. Directed by Allen Hughes, who conducted extensive interviews with both men, the show also includes interviews with such music icons as Bono, David Geffen, Eminem, Nas, Stevie Nicks, Ice Cube, Gwen Stefani, Jon Landau, Tom Petty, Trent Reznor, Snoop Dogg, Bruce Springsteen, Diddy and will.i.am. THE DEFIANT ONES also features never-before-seen footage from a multitude of recording and writing sessions with Eazy-E, JJ Fad, Stevie Nicks, N.W.A., Tom Petty, Bruce Springsteen and U2, among others.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qT5FeylUWO0
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Watch Hulk Hogan + Gawker + Freedom of the Press in Trailer for NOBODY SPEAKS
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NOBODY SPEAK: TRIALS OF THE FREE PRESS[/caption]
Here it is, Hulk Hogan + Gawker + Freedom of the Press, all featured in the new trailer for the documentary Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press, premiering June 23 on Netflix.
Nobody Speak: Trials of the Free Press is directed by Brian Knappenberger and premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival.
When the online tabloid Gawker posted a surreptitiously filmed sex tape of professional wrestler Hulk Hogan, it ignited a high stakes legal battle that pit privacy rights against the first amendment. The staggering verdict bankrupted Gawker and its founder Nick Denton, but also exposed a shadowy figure behind the scenes — Silicon Valley venture capitalist Peter Thiel. Nine years earlier Gawker had outed Thiel on its site and the furious billionaire had been waiting for his chance to destroy them.
The Florida trial happened against the backdrop of a contentious election. Thiel’s battle with Gawker, along with Sheldon Adelson’s secretive purchase of the Las Vegas Review-Journal and President Trump’s treatment of journalists, portend a sinister trend threatening a free press and has brought to light a potential threat to democracy. Are the very wealthy thwarting the First Amendment to silence critics? In an age of extreme inequality, how vulnerable is a free press that has lost most of its traditional sources of income? Perhaps most frightening, what could a billionaire with the executive branch at his command do to those who have angered him?
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PHow1B32WZw
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See Joan Rivers, Jenny McCarthy in Dr. Pamela Dee’s Menopause Documentary LOVE, SWEAT & TEARS | Trailer
Love, Sweat & Tears, a humorous and inspiring look at menopause – a long-taboo subject that will impact women and men during their lifetimes – will be released on VOD on Friday, June 23, 2017. A DVD release is set for August 22, 2017.
Filled with humor, insight, and important medical information, Love, Sweat & Tears follows Dr. Pamela Dee Gaudry, one of the country’s leading experts on the issue (and “America’s Menopause Romance Doctor”), as she helps women navigate their fears concerning menopause. She also interviews Joan Rivers (in her last screen appearance), Jenny McCarthy, Craig Shoemaker, Lynne Koplitz and Michael Bernard Beckwith, to name a few, about the issue and opens up about her own experiences with menopause.
There are 60 million women in menopause today, and every year, two million women are added to that number in the U.S. alone. Seventy-five percent of women will suffer from the side effects, many severely. And while girls are taught about and prepared for menstruation, the natural biological transition of menopause is shunned, brushed under the rug, and attached with a stigma that leaves both women and men suffering – and at a loss.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7r_9L8zr0po