Although MAIDENTRIP is about a young Dutch lass whose passion is sailing, it is a story that, as I see it, is about a free spirit more than anything else. As such, one needn't be interested in nautical themes in order to appreciate this film. MAIDENTRIP could have been filmed entirely on dry land for all I care and been about a lonerish, globetrotting cyclist, instead. That the film was shot for the most part on a boat was of irrelevance to me. I certainly did not watch and enjoy this because I find sailing all that interesting. I don't. Truth be told, aboard a sailboat I'd be a fish out of water. No, what attracted me most to this documentary was how I saw a little bit of myself in its subject, Laura Dekker, as far as being independent-minded is concerned.
This globular escapade of Dekker's made headlines in her homeland. Here was a 14-year-old girl with the ambition of wanting to sail around the world, alone. Remarkably, she ended up doing just that; at least in some respects. The junior miss is shown periodically taking time-outs ashore -- sightseeing, stocking up on provisions, visiting a laundry, etc. Cynics might regard this as having cheated a little bit, whereas some feel the entire news-making trip was planned with the primary motive of seeking publicity.
Apparently, or so we are told, no one accompanied the minor on this voyage of hers, although there are scenes of Dekker being photographed on land, walking along the shore and grocery shopping. That the teeny-bopper brought along a camera of her own and took to recording herself in almost narcissistic fashion, right on down to the minutiae of various mundane activities, indicates that maybe this was all documented with the purpose of a later film in mind. The crystal-clear picture quality of Dekker's video photography was something that immediately struck me as conspicuous. Normally, home videos and the like do not contain such high production values.
Amidst her unsupervised journey, Dekker had to contend with the usual obstacles all sailors are confronted with, ranging from fogbanks to windstorms. Laura appears fearless out there all by herself aboard her trusty tub, with sharks, pirates, stowaways, and ingratiating seamen seemingly the farthest thing from her pretty little head. Maybe fearless is not the right term. More like dewy-eyed, perhaps.
Several questions came to mind as I sat watching this. Among these, was the question of just where schooling factored into things in the life of this carefree creature. I also wondered how familiar the filmmakers were with the song "Sailing" by Christopher Cross. I was almost expecting it to be played over the end-credits but, alas, another less-apt tune was heard, instead. As for Laura's (arguably irresponsible) parents, were they not concerned with their young daughter being away for as long as she was, and out on the open sea, no less? Thankfully for them, girls simply can't go anywhere without their mobile phones, and Dekker managed to at least keep in touch with her father while afloat.
Lucky for viewers, the bilingual Laura Dekker makes for pleasant company. Just imagine if the heroine of this story was unlikable, or withdrawn and reticent. Dekker, thankfully for us, is none of these, nor is she camera-shy! Her mood and personality seems to change whenever adults are around, as if she is put-off by their mere presence, but overall is an inviting documentary subject, even if the youngster is a little too self-involved for some viewers' liking.
Granted, as much as MAIDENTRIP is watchable, this is not the most intellectually stimulating of viewing experiences. Breezy and lightweight, it made my mind feel like it was on vacation. I'm all for mental escapism, but after ninety or so minutes of semi-vacuously being carried away by waves, I found myself becoming more homesick than seasick.
In sum, it was nice to see that not every teen in the world is a nature-deprived screenager. No doubt, what Laura Dekker managed to accomplish has to be on par with other waterborne feats in world history, alongside accounts of those who braved Niagra Falls and lived to tell of it to stories of wannabe mermaids who were able to swim, say, the English Channel. And yet, what I found most impressive was Dekker's spunk and nonconformist-like nature; her ability to swim upstream, so to speak. Somehow I can't picture Laura ever growing up to become a housewife, pushing a perambulator. People have been known to change as they age, however. Maybe this nomadic/bohemian way of life of hers at the time was just a phase and after having gotten the wanderlust out of her system she has now settled down and planted some roots. Stranger things have been known to happen. After all, after sailing around the world, what more is there for an avocational sailor to possibly experience?
