Aces of Trades: Jessica Griesheimer creating movie called, "Without Her"
CHILLICOTHE – She’s a pet lover – and filmmaker.
“Some might have described me as a chaotic mixture of sensitive and dramatic,” recalled Jessica Griesheimer. “Throughout my childhood, my brain and heart were always working overtime. I often kept my brain busy concocting new stories with intense plotlines and robust character development. My heart also allowed me to feel emotions with a greater intensity than most children, which made life more challenging at times, but I wouldn't have changed it for the world.”
“My dreams as a child were inspired by my grandmother's work as a nurse,” she continued. “I shared her passion for helping others and initially thought that was where my career path was going to lead to. If I had the chance to sit down with younger me, she would have never believed what she was going to be capable of.”
Today, Griesheimer is a filmmaker with her Without Her LLC, which is creating a movie called "Without Her."
“Filming is expected to begin in March,” she said, “and held locally so my team and I can feature various aspects of Chillicothe's historic architecture and landscape. I’m currently planning a public screening that is expected to be held on October 5th at The Majestic Theater. This event is being held in partnership with Ross County Community Action as a community fundraising event centered around the heart of my mission to open the first pet-friendly domestic violence shelter to have ever existed in Ross County.”
“The idea for this film originated in 2022,” she continued. “Though the story is about a young woman and her dog trying to escape domestic abuse, it’s told from her dog’s perspective. Just as much as women feel they cannot live without their dog by their side, this story sends the message that our dogs feel the same way about us. To those dogs, they couldn't imagine a single day Without Her.”
“In addition to creating the story,” she added, “I’m the executive producer and director of the film. On top of the normal day-to-day activities of a small business, my responsibilities often involve a few creative twists. This can range anywhere from designing props to calculating exactly how many pages of script we can film per hour.”
Griesheimer’s family' history is rooted in Ross County for seven generations, but she grew up in Circleville, graduated from Circleville High School in 2012, then Bradford School to practice veterinary technology.
“I initially started working at a Lancaster veterinary clinic with various small pets and livestock,” she said. “Then I met my now husband whose own passion involved acting and creating a thriving local film community. He opened my eyes to the possibilities that were waiting to be created right here in Chillicothe. I decided to take a risk and focus on building my experience as a filmmaker full-time. From there, I went on to co-produce a feature length movie and several award winning short films and screenplays, all filmed right here in Chillicothe.”
Her husband is Daniel Griesheimer, CEO of Ohio Creations.
“Jessica’s efforts on the production Without Her has been incredible and well organized,” assessed her husband. “Through leadership and the craft of filmmaking she’s bringing awareness to situations that are needed to be talked about. It’s not just a movie, it’s a movement.”
“The journey of turning this movie into a movement has made me realize that my biggest strength is a soft heart,” his wife responded. “Saying I’m pleased with the roads life has led me is an understatement.”
For more information, log on www.withouthermovie.com.
About the series
Aces of Trades is a weekly series focusing on people and their jobs – whether they’re unusual jobs, fun jobs or people who take ordinary jobs and make them extraordinary. If you have a suggestion for a future profile, let us know at gaznews@nncogannett.com.
This article originally appeared on Lancaster Eagle-Gazette: Jessica Griesheimer creating movie called, "Without Her"
