Draft:Christopher Henze
{{AFC submission|d|ilc|u=Chrisdopheia|ns=118|ts=20250407222121}}
{{Short description|American documentary filmmaker and evolutionary theory contributor}}
{{Draft topics|biography|media}}
{{AfC topic|blp}}
{{Infobox person
| name = Christopher Henze
| occupation = Film director, cinematographer, writer
| notable_works = 40 Weeks, Planet of the Humans, Wise Women Hypothesis
}}
Christopher Henze is an American film director, cinematographer, and writer known for his work in documentary filmmaking. He has contributed to the environmental film [https://mahb.stanford.edu/library-item/michael-moore-presents-planet-of-the-humans-full-documentary-directed-by-jeff-gibbs Planet of the Humans] (2020) and directed the maternal health-focused documentary [https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/40-weeks-2014 40 Weeks] (2014). In 2024, Henze co-authored the Wise Women Hypothesis, a theory exploring the evolutionary role of post-reproductive women in early human societies.
Early life
Henze began working in the film industry as a child actor in commercials. During college, he interned at the New York-based editing studio Splice-is-Nice between 1980 and 1982, gaining early experience in post-production and commercial editing.
Career
Henze's directing career began in the music video and commercial production space. He later transitioned into documentary filmmaking.
In 2014, Henze directed 40 Weeks, a feature-length documentary following the pregnancy journeys of multiple women across the United States.{{Cite web |title=40 Weeks (2014) |url=https://embryo.asu.edu/pages/40-weeks-2014 |website=Embryo Project Encyclopedia |publisher=Arizona State University |access-date=2025-04-07}} The film was distributed through select screenings and covered in parenting and health media.{{Cite web |title=This Pregnancy Documentary Is a Must-Watch for Expecting Moms |url=https://www.huffpost.com/entry/this-pregnancy-documentar_b_6860198 |website=HuffPost |date=13 March 2015 |access-date=2025-04-07}}{{Cite web |title=Belly Bumps to Baby Mamas: A 40 Weeks Adventure |url=https://www.health4mom.org/belly-bumps-to-baby-mamas-a-40-weeks-adventure/ |website=Health4Mom |date=24 March 2015 |access-date=2025-04-07}}
In 2020, Henze worked as Co-Producer, Cinematographer, and Sound Mixer on the documentary Planet of the Humans, directed by Jeff Gibbs and executive produced by Michael Moore.{{Cite web |title=Michael Moore Presents Planet of the Humans (Full Documentary) |url=https://mahb.stanford.edu/library-item/michael-moore-presents-planet-of-the-humans-full-documentary-directed-by-jeff-gibbs/ |website=Millennium Alliance for Humanity and the Biosphere |date=9 May 2020 |access-date=2025-04-07}}
In 2024, Henze and writer Dominique Debroux introduced the Wise Women Hypothesis, which expands on earlier evolutionary theories such as the Grandmother hypothesis. Their work argues that post-reproductive women contributed to early human survival and cultural development by managing fire, facilitating intergenerational knowledge transfer, and playing leadership roles in small-scale societies.{{Cite web |last=Henze |first=Christopher |title=The Wise Women Hypothesis: How Menopause and Fire Shaped Human Evolution |url=https://medium.com/@chris_67080/the-wise-women-hypothesis-how-menopause-and-fire-shaped-human-evolution-03d95b482e2b |website=Medium |date=2025-04-07 |access-date=2025-04-07}} Henze is currently directing a documentary film titled WISE WOMEN – WHY MENOPAUSE MATTERS, which explores the implications of the hypothesis.
Filmography
- 40 Weeks (2014) – Director
- Planet of the Humans (2020) – Co-Producer, Cinematographer, Sound Mixer
References
External links
- [https://www.imdb.com/name/nm3828704/ Christopher Henze at IMDb]
:Category:American film directors
:Category:Documentary filmmakers
:Category:Music video directors
:Category:Commercial directors