Film
Maidentrip
A fourteen-year-old Dutch sailor embarks on a two-year solo circumnavigation of the globe. Director Jillian Schlesinger crafts an intimate portrait of ambition, isolation, and adolescent self-discovery at sea. It's contemplative and occasionally tense, never sensationalized. For anyone drawn to real adventure, personal philosophy, and what happens when you're truly alone with your choices.
Should you watch it?
Watch it if you love documentaries that let the open ocean and a single small boat do the talking, with a quiet, observant eye on one stubborn person's private nerve.
Skip it if you want a documentary that digs hard into the legal fight and the people around the sailor, since much of the film stays on the boat with her own camera and her own thoughts.
What it asks of you: It runs a brisk 82 minutes and moves at the unhurried pace of open water, so long stretches of empty sea and self-recording reflection are part of the bargain.
Not sure? Find tonight's pick in a minute.
If you liked this
Free Solo2018
Breathtaking documentation of a climber preparing to scale El Capitan without ropes. Like Maidentrip, it's about someone pushing human limits through obsessive preparation and extraordinary nerve.
But The anxiety is relentless. If you prefer your documentaries comforting rather than terrifying, this will exhaust you.
Into the Wild2007
Young idealist pursues a radical solo journey into nature to test himself against the world. Shares Maidentrip's meditation on solitude, freedom, and whether extreme self-reliance is liberation or escape.
But The ending is tragic and unsparing. It doesn't celebrate its protagonist's choices the way Maidentrip does.
180° South2010
Documentary following a filmmaker retracing a legendary adventure across South America. Both films capture the real texture of travel—weather, doubt, physical exhaustion—not just the romance of wandering.
But Slower paced and less dramatic than you might expect. The appeal is in reflection rather than incident.
Not sure tonight? Get a pick in a minute, starting from Maidentrip
The wildcard
Something you would not have found on your own.
Maelström2000
Both use the sea as a space where a young person confronts who they are without distraction. Maidentrip is documentary fact; this is lyrical fiction—opposite approaches to the same interior landscape.
Québécois narrative film about a young woman adrift in a small boat after a collision. Visually stunning and philosophically turbulent. Echoes Maidentrip's interest in water as both setting and mirror for internal chaos.
But Symbolism-heavy and sometimes frustratingly opaque. Dialogue is sparse. If you want narrative clarity, you will be frustrated.
More like this (5)
The Minimalists: Less Is Now2021
Essayists explore how stripping away excess reveals who you actually are. Philosophical kinship with Maidentrip's theme: isolation as a tool for understanding yourself.
But Feels like extended TED talks. Some find it preachy rather than exploratory.
It Might Get Loud2008
Three legendary guitarists show how they taught themselves mastery through obsessive solitude. Like Maidentrip, it's about young people pursuing excellence through isolation and repetition.
But If you're not interested in music or musicians, the philosophical core won't carry you through.
The Secret of Kells2009
Animated adventure about a young boy discovering his courage through a solitary journey. Lighter in tone than Maidentrip but shares its focus on youth, determination, and becoming yourself through adventure.
But Animation style is ornate and distinctive—some find it beautiful, others busily distracting.
Grizzly Man2005
Werner Herzog examines a man's obsessive solitude in the Alaskan wilderness. Maidentrip-adjacent study of why people seek isolation and what it costs them.
But Bleak. Herzog offers no comfort about his subject's choices or their outcome.
Senna2010
Documentary portrait of a racing driver's obsessive pursuit of excellence. Both examine what it looks like when someone young is absolutely certain about their path.
But Long sequences of racing footage may feel repetitive if motorsport doesn't grip you.
People
Cast
Laura DekkerHerself
Directing
- Jillian SchlesingerDirector
Production
- Dominic CicereExecutive Producer
- Gill HollandExecutive Producer
- Louis VeneziaExecutive Producer
- Rebecca Ritchie BrowerExecutive Producer
- Emily McAllisterProducer
- Jillian SchlesingerProducer