MAIDEN is the outstanding true story of the first all-female crew in the hazardous Round the World Ocean Race. Despite the media writing them off as a ‘tin full of tarts’, and no sponsors wanting to fund them, their incredible journey won over hearts and minds.
Maiden is one of those documentaries that can be difficult to get into, but by the end, you are gripping your seat in suspense and anticipation.
A little all over the place in narrative direction, director Alex Holmes can't decide whether the documentary is focusing on the life of Tracy Edwards, or the 1989-1990 Whitbread Round the World Race. Of course, both are intrinsically linked, but the documentary starts with a fair bit of Tracy's family history that has very little relevance to the race itself and feels like it serves the function of filler to ensure the documentary is able to be "feature-length".
It does give the documentary a very slow meandering start, that was a struggle to get invested in. Once we got to the point where she starts sailing, things start to get interesting, not only because we are moving into the main purpose of the documentary, but as you listen to the women narrating and recollecting the experience in the interviews, you can feel the excitement and passion in their voices, and it hooks you in. You may have to suffer for the initial 20 minutes, but it is more than worthwhile.
Inequality is a controversial topic, with many in disagreement as to whether it still exists or not. While there have been dramatic recreations of important moments in gender equality, there are not many that are captured on film, which makes Maiden all the more important. There is nothing more frustrating than watching someone who has a passion for something, being shut out. And there is nothing more invigorating than watching that person overcome those obstacles. Maiden is eye-opening to the difficulties that many have (and still) face. It's a visual historical record of how sexism existed; it's undeniable, it's in-your-face, and it presents one of the best underdog stories to come out in recent years.
It's eye-opening not because the men wanted to keep the Whitbread Round the World Race as a men-only sport. Literally, nobody thought they would survive the first leg of the race. Women were thought to be at such a physical and mental disadvantage compared to men that it was their misconceptions about safety that was driving the sexist behaviour. Despite its heavy sexist themes, Maiden is not a feminist men-hating tirade. It's a 9-month long event that changed perceptions at a global scale.
You can forgive the low-quality footage shot on a 9-month voyage at sea in all kinds of weather conditions. They are more than made up for by the interviews with members of the media and Maiden team that are interwoven amongst the footage. It is quite well edited once we get to the actual racing, building a lot of tension and suspense.
Also, on a side note, as I didn't actually know the race existed before watching this documentary, I was surprised to learn that Auckland was one of the four destinations that the boats stopped at, with favourites to win being the kiwi boats 'Fisher & Paykel NZ' and 'Steinlager 2' skippered by who else but Grant Dalton and (Sir to-be) Peter Blake respectively). It's always exciting to see New Zealand well-represented in the sporting world.
Maiden initially struggles to get the wind in her sails, but once she does, this documentary manages to put together an incredibly thrilling piece of cinema. A must-see.
Maiden is in cinemas on Thursday September 26, 2019