…But I Was a Girl: The Story of Frieda Belinfante tells the story of Frieda Belinfante (1905–1995), a remarkable woman who was the first female conductor to have her own symphony orchestra, first in Holland and later in OrangeCounty, California. Controversial, because of her sexuality, she showed a remarkably strong and positive will in everything she did. Born in a family of musicians in Amsterdam, she joined the resistance during World War II, then later fled to Switzerland. After the war she moved to the US where she resumed her musical career in the Hollywood studios, and formed her own symphony orchestra with Hollywood musicians. The story of Frieda’s lifeis told by herself, her older sister Renee, old students and friends, and illustrated by the places she lived, archive materials of her orchestras and some of her music.

A wonderful documentary that rescues lesbian history from the destruction of the Holocaust, But I Was a Girl... is the story of a Jewish lesbian's childhood dreams that came to fruition despite incredible odds. Born into an Amsterdam family of musicians, Frieda Belinfante mastered the cello and began a conducting career that was later cut short by Nazi persecution. Yet Belinfante was ultimately triumphant as the first woman conductor to have her own chamber orchestra in the United States. The resurrected history of this passionate woman is expertly archived and truly inspi- rational. Co-sponsored by The Boston Jewish Film Festival.