The Jessicas Are Turning 30
A short documentary from The Washington Post directed, edited and produced by Maya Lin Sugarman.
In 1989, when the six people featured in this documentary were born, they had one thing in common — they were named Jessica — the most popular name for girls that year. But from there, their lives took different paths. In 2019, they reflected on life at the brink of 30 — an age heavy with expectation.
We traveled across the country to see where life has taken them and to understand what confronting 30 looks like for millennials today.
The people we met were struggling to make ends meet, battling addictions, aiming higher in their careers, questioning their personal lives and reclaiming their confidence.
A look at life on the cusp of a new decade.
What we found is that there is no one way to be 30 in America today.
In the past three decades, the world as we understand it has become smaller. We stream on demand. We friend and like and follow. We carry the world in our pockets every day.
What hasn’t changed is that turning 30 continues to be a milestone moment — an opportunity to reflect and maybe even redefine.
The people in this film demonstrate the diverse experiences of a generation.
‘The Jessicas Are Turning 30’ is a Washington Post documentary produced by The Lily. Its produced by Amy King, Neema Roshania Patel and Maya Lin Sugarman.