Praise for Jillian Schlesinger's MAIDENTRIP

" Potent ... Inspiring ... real beauty." - Keith Uhlich, Time Out New York

" It's easy to imagine this compelling chronicle, and its defiantly strong heroine, inspiring countless teens and parents alike." - Elizabeth Weitzman, New York Daily News

"There is a lovely simplicity to Jillian Schlesinger's film 'Maidentrip' ... While this film might initially call to mind 'All Is Lost,' the story here is about one girl's daunting quest and the sheer joy she gets from fulfilling it."- Marshall Fine, Huffington Post

"A unique and deceptively complex portrait that transcends the expected narrative of empowerment in favor of something far more resonant." - David Ehrlich, Film.com

"[Laura] is an engaging subject...a mix of ballsy determination and honest vulnerability."
- Beth Hanna, Indiewire

“With the aid of Penelope Falk’s masterful editing, which can’t be praised enough, Schlesinger urges us to recognize that Dekker is not a symbol or a remote icon. She’s a young girl achieving something extraordinary, but a young girl nonetheless. The message is simple; up close, when you bypass the image and the deed, heroes begin as regular people.”- Shane Ryan, Paste Magazine

"Maidentrip is not just the chronicle of a stunning feat, but a coming-of-age journey of self-realization, made immensely more involving by virtue of being seen through Laura's first-person perspective, experiencing personal revelations in the moment with the same emotional immediacy with which she herself makes them."- Kenja Fujishima, Slant Magazine

"Jillian Schlesinger's first feature...is both low-key and lyrical as it focuses on the mundane and the magnificent." - The Hollywood Reporter

"This inspirational true story vibrantly captures the personality of its determined Dutch protagonist." - Variety

"It's impossible to watch Maidentrip and not want to immediately start scheming your own audacious adventure." - Outside Magazine

"If you're looking for inspiration, look no further than Schlesinger's vision of Dekker's liberated spirit."  - Austin Chronicle

"The closest spiritual equivalent to a live-action Miyazaki film." - The Dissolve

"A compelling portrait of an extraordinary human being...a celebration of the incredible promise of youth." - TwitchFilm

"MAIDENTRIP: imagine if Life of Pi was a really great documentary. about Jennifer Lawrence. and the tiger was puberty." - David Ehrlich

“When it comes down to it, Maidentrip isn’t just a documentary about a girl wanting to become the youngest sailor to go around the world. It’s a coming-of-age tale of a girl wanting to be her own person…. In a time where strong female role models are popping up in film and television, Laura Dekker is an extraordinary, real(!) young woman, who could be a role model for many young girls.” - Joshua Kaye, Film Forward

"A vividly rendered true-life travelogue... Though Dekker maintains a cheerful, can-do attitude in the face of many challenges, Maidentrip's most fraught moments suggest that the emotional whirlpools of adolescence may be even more tumultuous than a stormy night in the South Pacific."- Jason Anderson, The Toronto Star

"It's another terrific portrait of the woes and wonders of youth on the verge of whatever comes next... part of a new breed of nonfiction teen movies that acutely tap into the true heart and soul of that age better than any fiction filmmakers are doing right now. Specifically here, that time is an exploration, paralleled with a physical analogy of both triumph and inconclusiveness in the spirit of not only growing up but also growing outward." - Christopher Campbell, Nonfics.com

"A trip you definitely want to take." - Daily Candy

"A completely engaging and warm documentary" - Michael Doherty, Pop Culture Beast

"See it. It just might re-inspire that teenage spirit of adventure missing in your life."
- Ross Anthony, Hollywood Report Card

"Laura's journey isn't just about guiding a boat around the globe -- it's one of developing a sense of maturity, independence, responsibility, identity, family, and belonging."
- Mark Buckingham, Cinema Sentries

"Dekker's story has stirred up a lot of debate over the abilities of minors to make their own decisions. Maidentrip effectively takes that debate head-on, giving us Dekker's example as to why kids should be allowed to think for themselves — especially when permitted by their legal guardian(s) — without intervention by the government. A transcendent coming of age story,Maidentrip serves as a perfect vehicle for female and teenage empowerment."
- Don Simpson, Smells Like Screen Spirit