The Utah Film Center and Grand County Public Library present a free screening of “Maidentrip” on Thursday, June 26.
“Maidentrip is a documentary about Laura Dekker, a 14-year-old girl who fought with Dutch authorities for almost a year, garnering international media attention, before she set off to become the youngest person ever to circumnavigate the globe on her own.
“We’re very excited about the screening of “Maidentrip” library assistant Jessie Magleby said. “Some viewers may recall the controversy surrounding 14-year-old Laura and her father. It took 10 months to convince the Dutch courts to let her sail around the world all alone, and the media labeled her “spoiled and delusional” and called her father wildly irresponsible. But she proves otherwise.”
The film includes video journals of Dekker’s voyage as well as voice recordings. It won the Festival Director’s Award at the Mountain Film Festival in Telluride, Colo., as well as an audience award at both the 2013 SXSW Film Festival and the Camden International Film Festival.
“Laura was born on the sea and lived the first four years of her life on a sailboat with her parents, and she aches to return to it – the one place she feels at home,” Magleby said. “Here we get to see her video journals of the voyage and watch her face formidable challenges and share contemplative moments. ”We think this movie will be inspiring to all viewers, but hopefully especially to young women. As one reviewer put it: ‘What a relief it is to spend quality movie time with an adolescent girl who isn’t pining for a boy or obsessed with social media.’ Dare to be adventurous, be courageous, live a big life.”
Flickfilosopher’s Maryann Johanson was a fan of the film, and of first-time documentarian Jillian Schlesinger’s decision-making.
“Laura Dekker dreamed about sailing around the world solo, and between mid 2010 and early 2012, she did just that, and broke records as the youngest person ever to achieve such a feat,” Johanson said. “She was just 14 when she started, 16 when she finished. And she did it without a support team following her. On the longest leg of her voyage, she spent 47 days at sea nonstop, with not a single other human being for company (There were always dolphins and seagulls, though). It took a court battle in her home country of Holland for her and her parents to retain the right to make the decision to take on such a potentially dangerous quest, but first-time documentarian Jillian Schlesinger does not linger on that aspect of the story, or indeed even on exploring Dekker’s parents’ thinking in giving her the okay to go ahead.”
The film will show at 7 p.m. on Thursday, June 26 at Star Hall, 159 E. Center Street, as part of a partnership between the Grand County Public Library and the Utah Film Center to “bring the world of film to local audiences through free screenings and post-film discussions, outreach programs, and visiting artists and professionals.”
“We are able to bring a wide variety of newer films from all over the world and the post-film programs with directors and discussion panels that have been enriching and well-attended,” Magleby said. “We are pleased to see a consistent core audience returning each month as well as visitors to Moab. The library is committed to continuing this excellent program.”
Utah Film Center outreach coordinator Sallie Hodges said the film ”is a must-see for all young girls.
“But I (also) highly recommend this film to anyone with an adventurous soul,” she said.
“She was just 14 when she started, 16 when she finished. And she did it without a support team following her. On the longest leg of her voyage, she spent 47 days at sea nonstop, with not a single other human being for company (There were always dolphins and seagulls, though).
What: “Maidentrip” free screening
When: Thursday, June 26, 7 p.m.
Where: Star Hall, 159 E. Center St.
“Maidentrip” documents teen’s quest to circumnavigate Earth despite government’s objection
