Jessica Jessica is the story of two friends in their very late 30s who aren’t married, who aren’t mothers, who aren’t failures, and are both named Jessica. Jessica H is smart, strong, and savvy, with a spiritual side. She’s looking for love and wants to start a family with the right guy. She won’t settle for less, but she will sleep with less. And on this morning she wakes up next to a handsome man who is not the one, he’s a one night stand, he just doesn’t know it yet. Jessica G is vulnerable and sweet, she’s in those first fragile weeks post-breakup. Her intentions are noble but her execution is shameful when she’s caught sitting outside her ex’s house early one morning. She’s nursing a broken heart and coming to terms with the fact that he was never the one. The Jessicas are on different paths that run parallel. But regardless of romance, this friendship is the most intimate relationship these two women have. Best friends who take turns being the little spoon. Jessica Jessica is the funny/sexy/sad truth of how hard it is to be a woman at the end of her 30’s. Coming of age can happen at anytime.

Director’s Vision for ‘Jessica Jessica’

I have always been intrigued by the stories others tell about their lives. I find relating to their experiences, whether trials or tribulations, stimulating, and I can empathize with them.

The first time I read the script for “Jessica, Jessica,” I understood the characters and immediately knew them. The characters mirrored my own life experiences and some of those close to me. The characters in the script became my best friends, and I was able to see a slice of their lives and also able to listen to them talk about it afterwards. This is a portrait of modern-day women; independent, strong, emotional, and at times lost. The story takes place over several hours in one morning. It focuses on the humour and sadness of love, lust and friendships.

When I met both the leading women, Jessica Greco and Jessica Hinkson, I was excited to be offered the opportunity to tell the stories of real women as they navigate their lives.

I have been a photographer for the past decade, travelling the world, meeting amazing people and taking their portraits. During that time, I have experienced a growing frustration with the resistance women, especially those over 30, have toward having their portraits taken. This resistance stems from disliking how they look or feeling that they are not “photogenic.” Men, on the other hand, seem not to have the same issues.
With “Jessica, Jessica,” I worked with these women to share the not so pretty side of femininity and how it impacts them in their lives. I did this to reach an audience of women and have them recognize that they are not alone and that we all experience these feelings, relationships and insecurities.

The colour scheme I chose for the film is designed to provide a traditional look of pretty and feminine, contrasting with the reality of being a woman- which at times isn’t pretty.