Picture: onlygirlintheorchestra.com
Netflix has several documentary shorts in its vast library. Two of them went on to win Oscars, The White Helmets (winning in 2016) and The Elephant Whisperers (winning most recently in 2022). Soon, sitting among those titles will be The Only Girl in the Orchestra, a short about the trailblazing musician Orin O’Brien.
At the center of the documentary and featuring is Orin O’Brien, the double bassist hired by Leonard Bernstein (who was the subject of a Netflix movie last year starring Bradley Cooper) in 1966, leading to her becoming the New York Philarmonic’s first female player.
“Now 87 years old and recently retired,” reads the description on the doc’s official website, “Orin looks back on her remarkable life and career, insisting that a fuss should not be made, much preferring to play a supporting role to the family, students, friends, and colleagues that surround her.”
The film is directed by Molly O’Brien, the niece of the documentary subject. O’Brien has worked in numerous roles in the documentary space for over two decades. Her best-known titles include Some Common Things That Happen to Corpses and Terminal Impact.
The documentary, with a runtime of only 34 minutes, made its debut at DOC NYC in 2023 as part of the Shorts Program, debuting alongside Bear, A Home on Every Floor, and Daughter of the Sea.
Paul Emmanuel Enicola for TheMovieBuff wrote a review of the doc following its debut last November, calling it “a masterclass on making it in music,” with the review concluding, “Delightfully insightful and criminally short, “The Only Girl in the Orchestra” serves as a masterclass not only on how to make it in music; but also how to succeed in life.”
Picture: onlygirlintheorchestra.com
There is no release date for the documentary short yet, but we suspect it’ll arrive soon, given that the MPA just rated it.
Lisa Remington is the documentary short’s producer, and Errol Morris is the executive producer.
Producer: Lisa Remington, Molly O’Brien, Katy Beal (Co-Producer), Lisa Remington
Executive Producer: Errol Morris
Cinematographer: Martina Radwan
Editor: Monique Zavistovski
Music: Laura Karpman
Netflix declined to comment on the acquisition when we reached out.
When it lands on Netflix, will you check out The Only Girl in the Orchestra? Let us know in the comments.