Espresso Media International has picked up international rights to the documentary series “Balance: A Perimenopause Journey,” executive produced by Alyssa Milano and directed by Dallas-based monk-filmmakers Sadhvi Siddhali Shree and Sadhvi Anubhuti, ahead of this year’s MipTV.
Produced by Siddhali Shree and Anubhuti’s Texas-based non-profit production organization Siddhayatan Tirth Productions, the series explores the challenges women face when going through perimenopause, or the transition to menopause.
The four-part series, currently in production, “brings this vital issue to an underserved audience: women facing perimenopause at any age, as well as a secondary market of men who witness loved ones going through difficult changes,” Espresso Media stated.
Siddhali Shree and Anubhuti, both Jain monks based at the Siddhayatan Tirth spiritual retreat center located near Dallas, Texas, co-directed and produced the series.
“While menopause is inevitable for all women, the suffering in solitude that many experience, the general lack of awareness of the physical and mental effects, and the substandard care for aging women and their hormonal health can all be dramatically improved,” said Milano, who has worked with the monk-filmmaker duo on previously projects.
“In our docuseries, ‘Balance,’ we shed light on the relentless stigma and dismissal many perimenopausal women face when it comes to their hormonal experiences, and we advocate for increased research and support, which should include the input of women in the medical field. Under the umbrella term ‘healthcare,’ women’s health is not sufficiently prioritized here in the U.S., or in most countries around the world. With our docuseries, ‘Balance,’ we aim to change that — because after all, women’s health and women’s equality go hand in hand.”
The series features a high-profile lineup of influential women’s healthcare specialists, including Dr. Mary Claire Haver, an obstetrician-gynecologist from Galveston, Texas, who has a following of more than 3 million on social media.
“My hope is that the ‘Balance’ docuseries will help women understand what is happening to their bodies so that they are prepared and not blindsided,” Haver said. “It will also help them know their therapeutic options so that they can have an informed conversation with their healthcare provider.”
For the filmmakers, known for tackling challenging and taboo subjects in works like the 2021 feature documentary “Surviving Sex Trafficking,” the docuseries represents a deeply personal journey.
They note that as monks, they have striven their whole lives to achieve levels of balance through the three pillars of body, mind and spirit, and suddenly their peaceful lives are disrupted by the hormonal effects and symptoms of perimenopause – the transitional phase leading up to menopause.
“It’s not as simple as finding balance and keeping it — the cards are stacked against us — because our bodies are ever-changing, and we’ve never been taught just how drastic those changes can be,” said Siddhali Shree. “Hormone imbalance and perimenopause are simply not taught to us. At 38, it started with sleepless nights, high anxiety, and a moment of rage. Something changed in me and it was unsettling. I didn’t know what it was until I learned it was perimenopause.”
Anubhuti added: “Witnessing what Sadhvi Siddhali Shree was going through made me dive into my own research to find answers. We were then inspired to make a docuseries about it so that others are informed and can be empowered to be an agent for themselves. Suicidal thoughts are higher during this transition. As monks, we wish to reduce suffering in the world and so this series can save lives.”
The series’ executive producers include H.H. Acharya Shree Yogeesh and Heather Badal, with Zack Tzourtzouklis serving as editor and co-producer and Cesar Ramos as director of photography.
“We are excited to launch this timely series to the international market,” said Rebecca Nicholls, head of sales and acquisitions at Espresso Media. “‘Balance’ is going to help so many people, bringing the latest information, and helping us all to identify how perimenopause might be affecting us as well as those we love.”
