The Jessicas Are Turning 30 (2019)

"The Jessicas are turning 30" weaves together six compelling narratives of people who were born Jessica in 1989. The film captures what it's like to be 30 in America today. For millennial women, the milestone has become an age heavy with expectation. Thirty-year-old American women today are far less likely to be married and have children than they were 30 years ago - they're also more likely to have a four-year degree and a full-time job. Jessica Leiti has overdosed six times but finally feels like she's turning her life around. Jessica Rosario is a rapper who felt like she and her young mother grew up together. Jessyca Jones sometimes wishes she had the highest dose of Valium just so she could sleep through the night. Growing up, Jessie Read didn't understand gender rules existed - until he broke them. He felt unsafe. Jessica Amos wishes she were more fit and had traveled the world before she had kids. Jessica Grant wanted to be on Broadway. She's learned that her aspirations don't always have to be so calculated. The Lily is made up of a team of eight millennials. As we each approach this milestone age, we find ourselves discussing what it means to us. This film was born from these explorations as part of an often discussed and diverse generation. "The Jessicas are turning 30" is produced, directed, edited and scored by women. This is the first film produced by The Lily. "The Jessicas are turning 30" is a film from The Lily and The Washington Post. The Lily is a publication of The Washington Post that elevates stories critical to women's lives. We are named after the first U.S. newspaper started by women in 1849. Our mission is two-fold: Empower with news and information, and expose diverse voices and perspectives.