New Jersey — A new documentary, Wise Women – Humanity’s Untold Origins, created by New Jersey filmmakers Christopher Henze and Dominique Debroux is reframing one of humanity’s oldest assumptions: that menopause marks an ending. Their film, argues the opposite, placing the post-reproductive years of women as one of the most important forces shaping human survival, evolution, leadership, and culture.

A Local Story with Global Reach

The film, now renting worldwide at bingeable.net/wisewomen, brings together emerging science, global voices, and personal storytelling to explore the evolutionary role of older women, positioning menopause not as decline, but as a powerful developmental phase in human life.

“The science was pointing us toward human evolution, social structure, and leadership,” Debroux explains. “Menopause isn’t a medical decline. It’s a powerful human transition.”

Henze and Debroux, began the project after a series of unfulfilling conversations with physicians while exploring women’s health. What started as an investigation into menopause became something much larger.

“We’ve built entire cultures without acknowledging the contribution of post-reproductive women,” says Henze. “When you start to look at the evidence, women’s leadership becomes central to who we are as a species.”

Rewriting Human History

A central thread of Wise Women explores new research, called The Wise Women Hypothesis, suggesting that early women, particularly post-reproductive women, played a foundational role in humanity’s survival and brain development. Anthropologists and evolutionary biologists interviewed in the film describe how older women likely became keepers of fire, food systems, medicine, and social knowledge. Their leadership may have stabilized early communities, enabling cooperation, innovation, and the long childhoods that distinguish modern humans.

This emerging perspective challenges long-standing assumptions that human progress was driven primarily by hunting and male dominance. Instead, the film presents evidence that

women’s leadership, especially in relation to fire, food preparation, child-rearing, and social cohesion, helped shape the very structure of human civilization.

Featuring Margaret Cho

Among the film’s high-profile contributors is Margaret Cho, who serves as both narrator and executive producer. Cho’s involvement brings cultural weight and urgency to the project, helping bridge scientific research with public conversation.

“Menopause isn’t about aging out,” Cho notes in the documentary. “It’s about aging into power.”

About the Filmmaking team

Christopher Henze is an award-winning documentary filmmaker. Dominique Debroux is a culinary innovator, researcher, and producer whose personal journey helped shape the film’s direction and emotional core. They are joined on this project by Oscar winner producer Jonathan Sanger, and executive producer Madeline Di Nonno, CEO of the Geena Davis Institute.

“I have always been drawn to projects that celebrate women and illuminate their true impact on our world. This film does that in a way that is both scientifically grounded and deeply human.” frames Jonathan Sanger, “It challenges a long-standing cultural narrative and replaces it with evidence, perspective, and humanity.”

Together, they have built Wise Women not simply as a movie, but as a platform for a broader cultural conversation.

Why This Matters Now

In a culture where conversations about women’s health, aging and leadership remain fragmented and unfulfilling, Wise Women offers a unifying lens. The film connects modern struggles, from workplace inequity to healthcare gaps — with deep evolutionary roots, suggesting that societies thrive when older women are valued as guides, leaders, and knowledge keepers.

Early screenings have sparked discussion among scientists, educators, healthcare professionals, and community leaders.

“People walk out seeing their own lives differently,” Henze says. “They walk out more connected to their natural instinct to help, and make a difference in their communities.”

Trailer: https://youtu.be/Nr5Ws6affD4

Film Rental: https://bingeable.net/wisewomen

More Information: www.WiseWomenMovie.com