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- Published: January 28, 2024 16:19
New Delhi: A modest but powerful crew in Los Angeles is repairing instruments for tens of thousands of kids in public schools. They aren’t used to the limelight. But they are about to walk the red carpet in a documentary that features their tales with those of the children whose lives they have improved.
Ben Proudfoot, a native of Halifax, and Kris Bowers, a resident of Los Angeles, tell the story of the Musical Instrument Repair Shop in the Los Angeles Unified School District in their Oscar-nominated film The Last Repair Shop. Eleven technicians service approximately 6,000 instruments annually for over 1,300 schools in the city. Among the few remaining public school districts in the United States, this one offers free instrument maintenance.
In addition to being nominated for Best Documentary Short Film at the 96th Academy Awards, it won the Best Short Documentary at the 8th Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards.
The Last Repair Shop has been nominated for an Academy Award!
Thank you, thank you, thank you.
This is just the beginning. ✨ pic.twitter.com/BPNhwq1Law
— Breakwater Studios (@breakwaterstud) January 23, 2024
The Los Angeles Times and YouTube made it possible to see the documentary since November 8, 2023. Now the documentary is available via over-the-top services.
Story
In this documentary, we follow the story of a small group of dedicated artisans in a downtown Los Angeles warehouse who maintain and repair more than eighty thousand student instruments. The tale is told by four modest heroes who ensure every student enjoys music. As a bonus, it serves as a timely reminder that music has the power to alleviate pain, anxiety, and even poverty.
When and Where to Watch?
The musical documentary is now accessible on Disney Plus Hotstar beginning January 27, 2024. You can stream it on Hulu until February 22.
A symphony of craftsmanship. The Last Repair Shop brings to you a tale of keeping the musical spirit for countless students in Los Angeles.#TheLastRepairShop, nominated for an Academy Award for Best Documentary Short Film, is now streaming on #DisneyPlus. Stream on @Hulu until… pic.twitter.com/9Aqho7ttHt
— Disney+ (@DisneyPlus) January 23, 2024
Casts and Crew
Dana Atkinson, Paty Moreno, Duane Michaels, and Steve Bagmanyan are the featured actors in the documentary.
This documentary was co-directed by Kris Bowers and Ben Proudfoot, who were also involved in the 2022 Oscar-nominated film Concerto is a Conversation. Jeremy Lambert, the film’s producer, sent an article on the Los Angeles Unified School District’s workshop, which has been running for 64 years.
Director Bowers and the students shown in the movie are both alums of the prestigious Colburn School of Music and the Arts in Los Angeles.
Everyone on the Bagmanyan team understood they were making a difference. However, after seeing the video, people can now witness the effects for themselves.
Beautiful little documentary, I’d love to see more from these inspiring people. The Last Repair Shop in on Disney+ for anyone looking to catch it before the Oscars ✨ pic.twitter.com/6b6VSUX3Bh
— Charlie🖤 (@funnyoldworldx) January 24, 2024
More
Everyone’s life has been touched by music, not just the students. Whether it’s about suffering ethnic cleansing, coming of age as a homosexual teenager in the 1970s, leaving home to pursue the American dream, or just travelling the nation with a $20 fiddle from a flea market, every person who fixes the instruments has a story to tell.