Jessica: Part Two is the follow up short film to Jessica. Both are written, produced and directed by Bilal Hussein of Bilal Productions, Denmark. Although Jessica: Part Two stands on its own as a short, some background may be in order. In the first film, we find Jessica, a visually impaired woman who’s in a relationship with Caspar. Things seem to have been going smoothly in their relationship, but Caspar has become more and more annoyed by Jessica’s needs. He doesn’t want to drive her to work any more, even though she clearly can’t driver herself. And on top of that, Caspar’s been seeing another woman. He complains to her that Jessica is too needy and requires help all the time. Even though Jessica can sense something’s wrong in the relationship, Caspar doesn’t have the courage to come out and tell Jessica the truth about his feelings. But one day, Jessica finds a message from Michelle and confronts Caspar. He admits that he doesn’t want to be with her anymore, and she’s heartbroken. Time passes and Jessica recovers. Then, when Caspar comes back for a second chance, she turns him down cold. The lesson here could be that Caspar didn’t know what he was getting into and should have been more careful about getting into a relationship with someone who needed certain accommodations because of a disability. But the story is really about Jessica’s resilience, and, perhaps by extension, the resilience of those the able-bodied might think of as fragile or even weak. Jessica is devastated to be sure, but, as they say, time heals all wounds.
In the follow up, Jessica: Part Two, we find the protagonist working in a high profile position as an on-air journalist working for a TV station. So not only has Jessica survived, she has thrived and is doing very well. Meanwhile, in a parallel second story, we find Markus and his girlfriend in a bar. She’s decided that she does not want to get married or have kids and no longer wants to see Markus. Markus, for his part, is devastated, just as Jessica was in the first film. On his lonesome post-breakup wanderings, Markus runs into Jessica. The question at the core of Jessica: Part Two is, will Jessica be able to open her heart once again after losing Caspar. She still doesn’t go out much, but we see that Jessica has a solid support network: her mother and friends. But still, after the breakup with Caspar, she’s hesitant to go out and meet new people. And when Markus initially sees Jessica on the dock, and awkwardly asks her if she likes the view, she doesn’t respond at all. Markus has his work cut out for him.
One bright spot in the short is the singing of Nicoline Hammer Johnsen, the person Jessica interviews in the opening scene of the film. The haunting song is about hope and is perfectly fitting to the film.
Visually, this is clearly not a short with a high budget. The green-screening is a little too obvious, and the acting can be slightly wooden at times. Markus is also able to get Jessica’s number because she’s a well-known TV personality, despite the fact that being a celebrity usually makes it harder rather than easier to get a person’s phone number. But this is a film with a heart of gold. At its centre is a woman many might think might need special handing, but, in the end, is just like anyone else. She loves and loses, but one day, she can love again. Moreover, in a time when so many in Hollywood and other places are crying out for more diversity and inclusion, Jessica: Part Two really delivers. With a protagonist with a visible impairment that in many ways does not hold her back, but which nonetheless causes real problems in her love life, this is a film that paints a realistic picture of the challenges many of us might not even consider.
The movie can boast of being an official selection in numerous festivals, as well and being a finalist and winning several awards. Bilal Hussein, who in addition to writing, directing and producing is also the cinematographer, is clearly multitalented. He has also made a short about a crime family in Esbjerg, Denmark, where Jessica: Part Two is set, and he looks to have a bright future ahead of him.