‘Ice Maiden’: An unforgettable true story of courage and resilience

At the beginning of Ice Maiden, Aussie sailor/adventurer Lisa Blair announces that she aims to be the first female to sail solo, nonstop and unassisted around Antarctica. Only two men have previously accomplished this feat in 102 days. The perilous challenge is set.

As a young child Lisa fell in love with sailing as the sense of adventure was in her family’s blood. She was a drug addict – her drug was adventure and she loved being on the ocean alone.

Lisa initially joined the Clipper Round the World Yacht race with several sailors on board. When her team won, she realized that she could sail on her own, but to attempt a solo would have been challenging and an extreme risk.

This idea consumed her life, but there were many ominous signs for her to discontinue. She was told, “This is not for you, you can’t do it, you don’t have enough experience!” by everyone she received advice from.

Her mother even announced that her daughter was crazy to attempt such a record. Are women deemed as not capable and dismissed of such challenges? Would Lisa ultimately prove them all wrong?

Lisa sailed her 50 ft yacht through monstrous seasonal storms with swells over 5 – 9 metres, around icebergs and reefs. The conditions were brutal and exhausting but through her self-belief, persistence and her ‘don’t give up attitude’ she managed to overcome all obstacles nature threw at her, until things went utterly wrong, and the chilling announcement was made – ‘Lisa is 1095 nautical miles from land, 3 days from help, all alone – and her boat is sinking…’

This is not a traditional placid documentary. It’s a riveting, blood-pumping, suspenseful and an edge-of-your seat dark insight into the world of solo sailing that feels more like dramatic fiction and dispels the belief that sailing is an ultra-glamorous sport.

A collage of photographs, videos, and interviews with family members, meteorologists and notably adventurer Dick Smith aid in bringing this survival story to the screen. Several Cameras on the yacht and Lisa filming herself on her computer also compound to the dark and nightmarish excitement that audiences should feel.

Ice Maiden also unashamedly touches on anti-pollution and climate change issues – signified by the yacht’s name Climate Change Now.

Lisa Blair is a sporting icon that Australia should be proud of. We’d all like the fame and glory associated with attempting such a journey but most people wouldn’t be game.

Viewers are left with an important message from Lisa Blair – “It’s not how you die, but how you live.”

★★★★

Aug 11 Hayden Orpheum.  Aug 12 Ritz Randwick

Booking details: https://icemaidenfilm.com