Recreation & Community Programs | Human Services Department
• Register Now •

Below the Belt Special Screening

The Lexington Community Center and the Lexington Public Health Department, along with the Tri-Town Coalition, which includes Burlington and Wilmington, is offering a free public viewing of the movie “Below the Belt” (only available through screenings).  Scheduled for Tuesday, April 2nd at 6:30pm, the event was intentionally planned as part of National Public Health Week, which is focusing on Women’s Health in 2024. Lexington, often a leader in social issues, is screening this movie at the local theatre, Lexington Venue, which is the first public viewing in the Boston-metro area since the film was launched by PBS in July 2023. 

“Below the Belt” increases awareness of an issue in women’s health – the often confusing and delayed diagnosis of endometriosis, which can take up to ten years and in the interim cause fertility challenges.  This is partly because the disease impacts most systems in the body including reproductive, pulmonary, cardiovascular, muscular, and skeletal, and can be confusing for medical professionals, largely since little education exists on the subject.  One in ten women have “endo”, as it is commonly referred by most patients, and those women lose an average of 10 hours of productivity a week in school or at work.
 
Produced by Shannon Cohn, an award-winning filmmaker and social impact strategist, this film was created to utilize storytelling to change hearts and inspire minds.  Executive producers include a long list of Hollywood celebrities and nationally recognized politicians including Senator Elizabeth Warren, Orin Hatch (whose granddaughter is featured), Rosario Dawson, Corrine Foxx, and Mae Whitman.  Additionally, the film has several screening partners in the medical community, including Harvard Medical School, Princeton University, Yale University, The Moorehouse School of Medicine, National Institutes of Health, the Mayo Clinic, and the National Association of School Nurses, plus the academic community including Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the World Economic Forum.
 
The event will be held on April 2nd at 6:30, with a screening of the 1-hour movie, followed by a Q & A featuring local endometriosis surgeon Dr. Malcolm Mackenzie (known by his patients as “Kip”).  Reservations can be made using this link.  SPACE IS LIMITED.


 Return to Programs    View All Activities


Share This Page: