Hey! Kris Bowers here, co-director and co-composer for this film. Please feel free to reply with any questions you have about the filmmaking and/or the music, and I'll do my best to answer them! Thanks for watching.
Thank you for creating such a beautiful emotional documentary 🙏🏼 My family has a similar story that I always wanted to make a documentary about.. we were the pioneer of the 1st music store in Iran back established in 1945 after WWII called the Skenderian Music Center...we started the musical culture and community in Iran and had one of the world's richest musical archives. We were the safe haven for a lot of musicians because after the revolution music was Haram(against the Islamic religion that took over) and we had been there under the radar for 75 years to preserve the music culture and provide people music methods and music in addition to instruments. Not a lot of people understand what that means but it's definitely worth a documentary. I would love to meet Steve and possibly work with him. 🙏🏼
Spouse and I just finished watching this (over on Hulu, but leaving a comment here). I am a product of a public school music program (suburban Chicago) and spent several years as a school music teacher myself. This film was so moving. THANK YOU to everyone who was part of bringing this story to life. The honors are so well-deserved.
They aren't repairing instruments - they are repairing kids, repairing families, repairing communities. And, last but not least, they are repairing themselves. What a beautiful film.
The way you have made them all vulnerable on camera that needs to be applauded. Have not seen so many characters crying on camera in one film cant imagine how much time you spent with them to make them so comfortable around you.
What a beautiful film. This should be required viewing by school boards and anyone who understands (or doesn't understand) the value of our public schools.
Yes -- we aren't here on earth simply to "survive." I'm grateful for every teacher who brought "superficial" projects to our classrooms. Girls AND boys Embroidered in my 4th grade class -- choosing coloured threads, loving color combinations. Getting to school at 8am in 7th and 8the grades -- to sing in the Chorus -- who paid that teacher to do that? Creating Large papier mache creatures in the 6th grade -- all the while doing the usual English, Geography, Math. Oh lordy lordy -- art and music aren't "extras" in life. Please don't limit children to the three Rs.
I am a product of LAUSD. I used a school trombone starting in the third grade. I graduated from UCSB with a music performance degree in trombone. I went to Robert Fulton Jr. High and Van Nuys High School. I had exceptional teachers, especially Sid Lasaine at VNHS. Thanks to my LAUSD music teachers and those that repaired my instrument! ♥
I am watching this at my instrument repair bench while I repair a tuba for a public school. After I’m done, I’ll be going to the lesson studio to work with students. I’ve spent 12 years as a repair technician, and this NAILS the “why” and provides terrific insight into how we as instrument techs find meaning in our work. I have donated so much time with the mindset of, “ One broken instrument means a child without an instrument.” Well done to all involved, I feel seen in some small way.
What a beautiful film and what beautiful people. Please support your school's music program. Donate old instruments for children who need them. Making music together builds community and fosters peace and understanding.
This part particularly touched me too, and I can’t stop crying either! I am an American Armenian, and I wasn’t aware of this persecution and time in recent history. Shame on me. Armenian persecution is truly swept under the rug and is not on the forefront of any mainstream political discussions or taught in any schools. I was not expecting to learn about this when starting to watch this documentary. Thank you so much to the producers of this film for highlighting this beautiful man’s story and shedding a little light on Armenian struggles.
From the second this movie started, I was completely moved. As a musician I know so well how music can move a person. How it is that person. The last Repair Shop are changing the lives for so many kids. Not just fixing the instrument but in many cases helping to mend a broken child. Truly amazing. Thank you for making this movie and for all those luthiers working there, and for sharing their own amazing stories.
It is my life story too. At 9 years old in 4th grade I started taking violin classes at Lockwood Elementary School. My life changed in the class and I too fell in love with the violin and music. I played for the rest of my life. I’m my late 50’s we moved to Santa Fe New Mexico. I founded a violin program for underprivileged children. I raised the money, bought instruments and secured grants from funding trusts in town. I taught violin, we performed all over town. This program expanded to include other instruments and the arts. I gave back what was given to me at 9 in that class. These programs have continued now for over 25 years. It changed the lives of many young people too. Thank you for this beautiful film.
My parents bought a piano and a dog I named Freckles for my brilliant sister Avis and nothing for me. I and I alone took Freckles as MY only pet. I fed her and made sure all was well with her for 19 years. On Christmas Eve in 1964 our next door neighbor Dudley ran over her. I followed her blood in the freshly fallen snow freezing and in my underpants. My mother took her to the vet and the vet gave her a shot that killed her. I vowed to never own another dog. Ten years ago I was a Hospice Social Worker for a year. My sister Avis told me recently that she never knew I had been a Hospice Social Worker. She's a millionaire and will not loan me a dime and I may lose the condo I've lived in for 32 years. She never learned compassion ,but she teaches statistics at a University. She never learned how to give back.
Of Course this is a Ben Proudfoot production! This hit me on so many notes...a child of immigrants, a child of the poor side of town, a child who struggled to fit in. So many blessings from these people who put their skills into providing care and quality to resurrect old instruments. Just amazing. I've shared this link with everyone I know.
Thanks to all of creators of this movie, I am a survivor of the same genocidal events in 1989 in Azerbaijan, It is my 30th anniversary with ballet company, from which 18 years I worked as a principal pianist. Thank you, USA!
Would love to read anything you write about all you went through. Hope you write a book one day. One page a day adds up to a book at the end of the year. OR, an article at the very least. And now Turkey is reenacting the past I have read. Horrific.
Then the hero of the film lies when he says that it was in 1987. This is in order to cover up the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Armenia by killing and raping them in Kafan in the same 1987. This year it was calm in Baku, he’s lying. (This little false story is the core, that is, the message of the film, and everything else is ordinary everyday life that every emigrant can tell.)
I just completed forty years as a piano technician (and never plan to stop), including over thirty years working for colleges and elementary schools. I feel seen! What an inspiring film.
‘Music saved my life’, my Dad once said. As a young boy growing up in Tripoli, Libya; he was raised by his father who had been widowed when my dad was only 2 years old. Because my grandfather was unable to care for my dad, at the age of 8, he was sent to Malta to live with family. Due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, no one could keep him so Dad was placed in an orphanage. It was here he was introduced to music and was given a euphonium as his first instrument. It launched my dad into his lifelong love affair with music. He played until the age of 85. On March 22 of this year, Dad would’ve been 100 years old and though he is gone, his music plays on. ❤
This is one of the most wonderful short films I’ve ever seen. It made me cry. Music and art save lives - and create lives - and should be accessible to everyone!
I am in choir, and our whole choir class watched it during class today, we all sobbed. Plus, made me realize how lucky I am for the life I have, my single parents and how hard they work to provide for me, how music literally saved my life, and me also coming from a musical family
I funded this important program for 10 years. When district personnel and leadership wanted to eliminate it, I stood firm in ensuring that these remarkable "geppettos" could do their excellent work.
OMG!! I'm crying. My daughter found her tribe in middle and high school in Band. She married a bandmate. They are still close friends with many of the men and women they made music with. I was a 'band parent' chaperoning trips, keeping the books, and altering uniforms. Music is magical.
Steve’s “I was a little Armenian boy” took me off guard (27:36). As an Italian-Armenian I felt a great joy seeing and hearing his story. Love to all young and adults who took part of this gorgeous project ❤️
That was perfection. The richness of everyone's stories, the truthfulness and tenderness, it's a credit to the humanitarianism that surrounds music and the arts. Watching this was a tonic for the nastiness, racism and intolerance that gets so much attention in the media. Bravo, from Australia.
I had to watch this after listening to a year end arts wrap up on the NPR show 1a. The critic who chose this movie as his “must see” got choked up talking about it and blurted “I don’t know why I’m getting so emotional! I just loved this movie” and I thought I’ve got to see something that could make a critic feel like that. It didn’t disappoint. Yes, I got emotional, and I just love this movie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🥰
I was handed a viola when I was 13, free through a public high school program. Yes, it changed my life. At age 18, I was finally able to buy my own instrument, at Heinl's shop on Church Street in Toronto. Then I lived in a different city for many years--to study, and eventually to teach, music. On a recent TO visit, walking on Carlton, I learned Heinl has a new location. In making the move, they'd placed their old glass counter in the new shop's front room, exactly as it was in the old. What a powerful moment, what a flashback. People make light of music, they treat it as a "frill" and cut it from the schools, but--music is everywhere in daily life, it's at the heart of our humanity. We make friends through music, fall in love, get married, buried, and solace ourselves in mourning, all with music. Kids need music. It's their human birthright. And we're all kids inside.
From a teacher and a mother…. This has such a full scope of positive benefits! We should be holding our educational system to a standard of understanding how children operate comprehensively! Society needs to invest in our children… education needs to be reformed, the money, resources, and care of children should truly be top priority. Remarkable film!
Really lovely testament to the value of public employees and to a diverse US - if you need an antidote to the hateful rhetoric + hopelessness of our current politics, this is an uplifting one.
"The value of public employees" we pay taxes for so many reasons, mostly well known. Some are unknown, unpublicized but necessary and wonderful. IRS can tax me a couple of bucks to support stuff like this.
Absolutely beautiful. If we are to be a civilized country, one of the things we must ensure is the access to music for every child. Please support the arts at all levels, and wherever it is found.
There is a humility in people who fix objects, not found in any other area of life. Without them the stars could not heal and could not shine. They work in silence, in back rooms, unseen and unheralded, but their co-workers and the people they serve, Know. I was in tears from start to finish. in awe. Oscar-worthy indeed.
Armenians, move, declare yourself, make films, write books about us, about our true history, about the contribution of Armenians to the development of this civilization, so that the world knows and hears us. Do not be silent!!! Everything that is said about the events in Baku is absolutely true. My mother had a student from the city of Sumgait, where the purges of the Armenian population also took place. How much patience and tact it took my mother to bring this boy out of stress and not allow him to break down. This guy grew up and still thanks my mother for not letting him break. And the Azerbaijanis left Armenia and not a single hair fell from their heads.
Потрясающий фильм. Гениально. Такие разные люди, и музыка, любовь к музыке их собрала в одном месте, где они делают такую важную работу в жизни маленьких музыкантов! Конечно же меня особенно тронула история Стива, которому пришлось бежать с мамой и братом от чудовищной резни. Дети такие красивые в этом фильме ❤
This short film rouses the heart to find hope in the brokenness around us and to see agents of repair in ourselves… because the world needs to bask in a symphony of beautiful electrifying music to feel it is alive.
Wonderful documentary & great stories! Myself & my family were Armenian refugees from Baku as Steve & his family. We left everything behind & moved to US for better life. Steve’s story brought all memories back. This is an educational film and a good example for the younger generation. I hope this documentary will be widely recognized.
I live in LA county and many of the school around me belong in this district. Although, they don’t always get funding right this one is! I’m so glad others are stepping up to help continue the funding and the tradesmanship of true craftsmen and women. Truly an inspiring documentary! The comments here are inspiring as well! I hope this will be the heartbeat of LAUSD.
So much goodness in 40 minutes. You can't help everyone, but you can do something. Heroes who are doing work that matters. Thank you for this gift to humanity.
just what I was thinking as I watched: "You can't do everything but you can do something." The woman from Mexico w/"the American dream" disillusioned but given a chance! and now she's doing all she can to give other kids a chance! wonderful. This is why we need documentaries, and music.
This short film was so uplifting and should be required in all middle and high school bands. Additionally, recognizing that music is a universal language, all school boards should be encouraged to watch it before ever considering questions about funding. It was excellent🎼🎸💞
As someone who finally got the guts to start playing an instrument at age 54, my hat goes off to these people. Music heals, and gives our lives a true purpose. These folks figured that out a while ago. I wish it hadn't taken me so long.
A delightful and interesting short film highlighting the unsung heroes of the music-making industry. They repair broken instruments but really repair the lives of those who play them. What a beautiful thing. Thanks you for making this film.
One of the most heartwarming, touching stories ever. I remember being given the opportunity to learn the flute in 5th grade at my public school in the Pasadena Unified school district. Only because it was offered for free through the school district was I able to take advantage of the opportunity, since my mom was a single parent and funds were tight. The days that I brought my flute to school and got to go to band practice were the highlight of my week!
Beautiful documentary and music. It really hit a chord with me and almost made me cry. I learned to play the clarinet and saxophone in high school (Belmont) in those borrowed instruments back in the 1970's. I went on to play in the UCLA band and eventually bought my own instruments. I'm now 66 and have been playing in a community concert band for the last 40 years. Thank you repair shop and LAUSD for giving me a music education that have given me so much joy and a social and spiritual outlet throughout my entire adult life.
I’m here now ( 22 Mar ‘24 ) because I just read a CBC article about this documentary and have just finished watching it. It’s an absolutely beautiful work about our shared humanity + the circle of life. Beautiful stories brought together through the shared love of music. Thank you for bringing it to us. 😌♥️👍🏽🌟🇨🇦🌎✨
Congratulation on your Oscar win. This was a lovely documetary. It was wonderful to hear the instrument repair staff tell of their love for what they do. ❤🧡💛💚💙💜
One of the best docs I've seen regardless of length. I get tears in my eyes every time i watch it. Outstanding stories and storytelling. 100% Oscar worthy!
I watched this brilliant movie and sobbed. As wonderful as all the words are below, they don't don't do it full justice. You have to see it to fully understand why so many people are raving! After watching it the first time, I immediately watched it a second time. It is that good. The movie runs 40 minutes. It will be the most worthwhile 40 minutes of your week. The only error the movie creator made was not making it as a 2 hour full-length movie.
Thank you Chris Bowers and L.A. Times for producing this film. As a former music and math teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District, this documentary brought tears to my eyes.
My heart is full and I am in tears. As a daughter of a musician/singer, who was put in an orphanage as a young boy, a mom of a music major and a teacher of kids with learning disabilites and tough home lives, this movie has hit every emotion in me. Bravo to all who were involved with this film and here's to a Oscar nomination! xoxo
The documentary opened with a powerful scene: a young African American girl's pure joy and innocence radiating as she spoke about her violin, juxtaposed with the sadness in her eyes when mentioning her home struggles. This captivating introduction set the stage for a film that explored the lives of both the people who meticulously repair instruments and the LAUSD children whose lives are enriched by them. These dedicated craftspeople don't just fix instruments; they become vessels of the “universe's sound” - the gift of music to kids who, like the violinist, have found solace and purpose through their fight to survive and thrive through music. The documentary resonated deeply with me. As a former SFUSD student who was also loaned a violin, I too could relate to the challenges of prioritizing music within a culture that often emphasizes academics. Now, at 38, this film has reignited my passion for music, inspiring me to challenge my limiting belief of not being musical and pursue the joy of learning to drum and dance. My deepest gratitude for LA Times and Searchlight Productions for shining the light on these incredible everyday people who provide meaning in the world.
The makers of this film manage to weave together the individual life threads of each student and instrument repair person skillfully and seamlessly. To see the historic references brought to life (former Soviet Bloc countries, Stonewall and the events and times surrounding it) and the impact on each life. The economic, societal and family pressures of everyone who found their people, places and voices in the musical world. It made me want to applaud each and every one. The performance at the end was a beautifully orchestrated allegory of all the lives that were shown before. Each note/person was a story unto itself, but together it created a true work of art. Cheers to the young people who are starting their life journey. Blessings to the former children who rose above painful circumstances and continue to lift up others.
What a beautiful short documentary!!! Well deserved Oscar win! Having been in band and played the trumpet on loan for three years in middle school made me connect even more and of course, I cried like a baby!
Very well done documentary. Gives me faith in America. See for yourself and think about who all those characters are, where they come from, their parcourt, what they are contributing to public school children…amazing.
I started weeping 5 minutes into this film. I was deeply moved. So grateful this film was made. I don't know how well I could succeed in life without music, although I don't play an instrument. Such a beautiful film.
Beautiful people who bring their gifts to others. I remember having to say to my children that there was no money for the violin as I struggled to keep shoes on their feet. I thank each of you for your gifts that will keep giving long after we are all gone.
Thank you for your work and that of the entire production team, especially to those interviewed and Everyone involved in getting this documentary made. As an old classical musician, it’s so beautiful to see and hear people speak about their stories and connections with music. And thank you for putting it on UA-cam where I was able to see it.
I'm a Minneapolis Public School music teacher and I think this film is OUTSTANDING! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! Incredibly strong messages. Thank you for creating this fantastic film.
Wow!!! I cried happy tears at the end. The personal stories were extraordinary. Thank you for making this documentary. Thank you to everyone in the Repair Shop. You have helped to make children's dreams come true. Simply amazing. ❤
I haven’t cried that much in front of a movie in a long time. These are tears of joy. What a beautiful way of sharing that behind a person there’s always a meaningful story. Thank you all of the creators and participants, all of you. For remind us we are still humans.
We ARE all connected. Through our stories, our struggles, our triumphs, our fears, our loves, our memories. Everyone you pass by every day has a mountain of stories to tell. This film is a divine reminder of that.
I was blessed to have landed in a school where Tony DeAngelis was the music teacher. In fourth grade I started to play the trumpet and music changed my life thanks to “Mr. D.” The Last Repair Shop is just such a testament to the power of music, mentorship and art that is hard to condense into words. Thank you Ben Proudfoot for your art and humanity. My favorite character from Ted Lasso had a saying that I will co-opt and change a little . . . “Music is life!”
So beautiful, so inspiring, so grateful! We had low brass players in our household through their college years, tuba, trombone, euphonium. And our daughter took up guitar as well, playing it until hours before her sudden passing.
I’m a music teacher in a neighboring district (different county) Ontario, CA and we see this in our music students. We are 100% title one and the connections made in this documentary is exactly why music education is so important! I am in tears. Thank you for such a wonderful story!
This one of the most moving docs I have ever seen. I have my own performance trauma do to many of these same reasons. It is very difficult to perform and no one is in the audience supporting you and advocating for your talent.
We heard on CBC Radio an interview with the producers of this remarkable documentary this morning and we decided to look for it on UA-cam; of course we found it and, honestly, it is one of the most moving documentaries we have seen in the past few years - it’s not just about the good work, the calling to service to community, it is much more, it is (in our opinion) at its core about the essence of being & becoming human. We salute the producers, directors and everyone involved - a jewel well deserving of an Oscar. Thank you Los Angeles Time for uploading it and sharing it with the world 🧡💜💙 LCA
I just watched THE LAST REPAIR SHOP and I'm now in tears and covered in goosebumps. What a powerful and important movie! TO ALL WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE MAKING OF THIS BEAUTIFUL TREASURE ... THANK YOU! 🥰🎶🎹🎻🎵❤
What a beautiful film! Thank you to everyone who made this, including the students and repair shop - their stories were so touching. The Oscar is well-deserved.
Stunning! I'm in tears and smiles. As a retired music educator, I know the power great music has for all of us. I applaud L.A. and all of you who helped put this documentary together -- and who support music in our public schools. Thank you!
Congratulations on your well-deserved Oscar! And what a GREAT documentary... I'm in tears. And... wow. What a beautiful thread...the lives that were touched and changed by these amazing people!
This movie made me emotional. I hope the school kids will appreciate the love from these people on their instruments and will treat their instruments with special care. As an American Armenian and single mother proud of Steve and can totally relate to him and to Paty. 🫶❤️
As a young immigrant, in the early 70s in Los Angeles, I remember the day my little sisters came home with music instruments, one a violin, the other a sax, and thinking who in the world would let little girls take home such expensive instruments. I also remember my chest bursting with pride at the sight of my sisters trying to pry a note out of the instruments, but alas, we are not a musically talented family. Just the memory, though.
Hey! Kris Bowers here, co-director and co-composer for this film. Please feel free to reply with any questions you have about the filmmaking and/or the music, and I'll do my best to answer them! Thanks for watching.
Will "the alumni" be streaming anywhere?
@@beachbumkg Yes! We are working on releasing the soundtrack soon!! Stay tuned.
Thank you for creating such a beautiful emotional documentary 🙏🏼 My family has a similar story that I always wanted to make a documentary about.. we were the pioneer of the 1st music store in Iran back established in 1945 after WWII called the Skenderian Music Center...we started the musical culture and community in Iran and had one of the world's richest musical archives. We were the safe haven for a lot of musicians because after the revolution music was Haram(against the Islamic religion that took over) and we had been there under the radar for 75 years to preserve the music culture and provide people music methods and music in addition to instruments. Not a lot of people understand what that means but it's definitely worth a documentary. I would love to meet Steve and possibly work with him. 🙏🏼
Wow did this make me cry ... thanks!
@@BP-ww9fp Thanks so much!
Spouse and I just finished watching this (over on Hulu, but leaving a comment here). I am a product of a public school music program (suburban Chicago) and spent several years as a school music teacher myself. This film was so moving. THANK YOU to everyone who was part of bringing this story to life. The honors are so well-deserved.
This film encompasses what is so good about humanity! They are doing so much more than repairing instruments. ❤
They aren't repairing instruments - they are repairing kids, repairing families, repairing communities. And, last but not least, they are repairing themselves. What a beautiful film.
Looks like an Oscar winner to me!
So true
All of us should look around for someone to help 👍
Thank you so much!!
Oh please
The ending was simply PERFECT! The little girl's pizzicato was a delight. Adorable.
The way you have made them all vulnerable on camera that needs to be applauded. Have not seen so many characters crying on camera in one film cant imagine how much time you spent with them to make them so comfortable around you.
What a beautiful film. This should be required viewing by school boards and anyone who understands (or doesn't understand) the value of our public schools.
And the tragedy of so many schools cutting music classes for budget concerns. Never cut music classes. So vital.
Yes -- we aren't here on earth simply to "survive." I'm grateful for every teacher who brought "superficial" projects to our classrooms. Girls AND boys Embroidered in my 4th grade class -- choosing coloured threads, loving color combinations. Getting to school at 8am in 7th and 8the grades -- to sing in the Chorus -- who paid that teacher to do that? Creating Large papier mache creatures in the 6th grade -- all the while doing the usual English, Geography, Math. Oh lordy lordy -- art and music aren't "extras" in life. Please don't limit children to the three Rs.
Amen!!! I thought the same ...
And the shame of dropping music classes as first thing when budget crunches loom.
I was thinking the same thing! A valuable lesson.
I am a product of LAUSD. I used a school trombone starting in the third grade. I graduated from UCSB with a music performance degree in trombone. I went to Robert Fulton Jr. High and Van Nuys High School. I had exceptional teachers, especially Sid Lasaine at VNHS. Thanks to my LAUSD music teachers and those that repaired my instrument! ♥
I am watching this at my instrument repair bench while I repair a tuba for a public school. After I’m done, I’ll be going to the lesson studio to work with students. I’ve spent 12 years as a repair technician, and this NAILS the “why” and provides terrific insight into how we as instrument techs find meaning in our work. I have donated so much time with the mindset of, “ One broken instrument means a child without an instrument.” Well done to all involved, I feel seen in some small way.
THANK YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Thanks Dan, for your service.
Thank you for all that you do!!!
❤❤❤ thank you!
I see you, and I hear them. TY for your gift.
What a beautiful film and what beautiful people. Please support your school's music program. Donate old instruments for children who need them. Making music together builds community and fosters peace and understanding.
This armenian woman from the same city as Steve thanks you for highlighting our history. Bawled my eyes out. Definitely an Oscar- worthy film.
You are most welcome! Its our duty to take it as far as we can!🙏
This part particularly touched me too, and I can’t stop crying either! I am an American Armenian, and I wasn’t aware of this persecution and time in recent history. Shame on me. Armenian persecution is truly swept under the rug and is not on the forefront of any mainstream political discussions or taught in any schools. I was not expecting to learn about this when starting to watch this documentary.
Thank you so much to the producers of this film for highlighting this beautiful man’s story and shedding a little light on Armenian struggles.
And now it's happening again as Turkey reenacts history. Horrific.
and you did it!!! 🏆🎉 🇦🇲
Steve's story was particularly compelling . It's much the same story as my own family's story.
From the second this movie started, I was completely moved. As a musician I know so well how music can move a person. How it is that person. The last Repair Shop are changing the lives for so many kids. Not just fixing the instrument but in many cases helping to mend a broken child. Truly amazing. Thank you for making this movie and for all those luthiers working there, and for sharing their own amazing stories.
It is my life story too. At 9 years old in 4th grade I started taking violin classes at Lockwood Elementary School. My life changed in the class and I too fell in love with the violin and music. I played for the rest of my life. I’m my late 50’s we moved to Santa Fe New Mexico. I founded a violin program for underprivileged children. I raised the money, bought instruments and secured grants from funding trusts in town. I taught violin, we performed all over town. This program expanded to include other instruments and the arts. I gave back what was given to me at 9 in that class. These programs have continued now for over 25 years. It changed the lives of many young people too. Thank you for this beautiful film.
Beautiful story! Well played life-thank you!🫶🏽
Bless you.
My parents bought a piano and a dog I named Freckles for my brilliant sister Avis and nothing for me. I and I alone took Freckles as MY only pet. I fed her and made sure all was well with her for 19 years. On Christmas Eve in 1964 our next door neighbor Dudley ran over her. I followed her blood in the freshly fallen snow freezing and in my underpants. My mother took her to the vet and the vet gave her a shot that killed her. I vowed to never own another dog. Ten years ago I was a Hospice Social Worker for a year. My sister Avis told me recently that she never knew I had been a Hospice Social Worker. She's a millionaire and will not loan me a dime and I may lose the condo I've lived in for 32 years. She never learned compassion ,but she teaches statistics at a University. She never learned how to give back.
@@tonymiller6847 : so sorry for your experiences. I wish better things to come to you now.
Bravo!
Of Course this is a Ben Proudfoot production! This hit me on so many notes...a child of immigrants, a child of the poor side of town, a child who struggled to fit in. So many blessings from these people who put their skills into providing care and quality to resurrect old instruments. Just amazing. I've shared this link with everyone I know.
Thanks to all of creators of this movie, I am a survivor of the same genocidal events in 1989 in Azerbaijan, It is my 30th anniversary with ballet company, from which 18 years I worked as a principal pianist. Thank you, USA!
Would love to read anything you write about all you went through. Hope you write a book one day. One page a day adds up to a book at the end of the year. OR, an article at the very least. And now Turkey is reenacting the past I have read. Horrific.
I would love to read your book if you will write it someday 👏
Then the hero of the film lies when he says that it was in 1987. This is in order to cover up the expulsion of Azerbaijanis from Armenia by killing and raping them in Kafan in the same 1987. This year it was calm in Baku, he’s lying. (This little false story is the core, that is, the message of the film, and everything else is ordinary everyday life that every emigrant can tell.)
@@memus333????
@@memus333average Turk trying to pretend genocide against Armenians never happened
I just completed forty years as a piano technician (and never plan to stop), including over thirty years working for colleges and elementary schools. I feel seen! What an inspiring film.
Deserves an Academy Award for best Documentary
And it won!! ❤
This aged well 😉
Yes it won🎉
And it got it 🎉
‘Music saved my life’, my Dad once said. As a young boy growing up in Tripoli, Libya; he was raised by his father who had been widowed when my dad was only 2 years old. Because my grandfather was unable to care for my dad, at the age of 8, he was sent to Malta to live with family. Due to a series of unfortunate circumstances, no one could keep him so Dad was placed in an orphanage. It was here he was introduced to music and was given a euphonium as his first instrument. It launched my dad into his lifelong love affair with music. He played until the age of 85. On March 22 of this year, Dad would’ve been 100 years old and though he is gone, his music plays on. ❤
This is one of the most wonderful short films I’ve ever seen. It made me cry. Music and art save lives - and create lives - and should be accessible to everyone!
I am in choir, and our whole choir class watched it during class today, we all sobbed. Plus, made me realize how lucky I am for the life I have, my single parents and how hard they work to provide for me, how music literally saved my life, and me also coming from a musical family
Gotta say, probably the most worthwhile short film I've ever seen (in 86 years)!
I funded this important program for 10 years. When district personnel and leadership wanted to eliminate it, I stood firm in ensuring that these remarkable "geppettos" could do their excellent work.
Thank you for standing up! I wondered how this amazing program survived, especially in the behemoth of the LAUSD.
Thank you.
you are a legend. thank you!
OMG!! I'm crying. My daughter found her tribe in middle and high school in Band. She married a bandmate. They are still close friends with many of the men and women they made music with. I was a 'band parent' chaperoning trips, keeping the books, and altering uniforms. Music is magical.
That ending is precious! Music softens the heart. It consoles the saddened.
Steve’s “I was a little Armenian boy” took me off guard (27:36). As an Italian-Armenian I felt a great joy seeing and hearing his story. Love to all young and adults who took part of this gorgeous project ❤️
Hi Michelle, Steve here, thank you for your warm words 😊🙏
@@Bumer2789I a survivor of the same atrocities. It was so good to see you Steve and to see that story being told. Thank you!
That was perfection. The richness of everyone's stories, the truthfulness and tenderness, it's a credit to the humanitarianism that surrounds music and the arts. Watching this was a tonic for the nastiness, racism and intolerance that gets so much attention in the media. Bravo, from Australia.
I had to watch this after listening to a year end arts wrap up on the NPR show 1a. The critic who chose this movie as his “must see” got choked up talking about it and blurted “I don’t know why I’m getting so emotional! I just loved this movie” and I thought I’ve got to see something that could make a critic feel like that. It didn’t disappoint. Yes, I got emotional, and I just love this movie ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️🥰
I was handed a viola when I was 13, free through a public high school program. Yes, it changed my life. At age 18, I was finally able to buy my own instrument, at Heinl's shop on Church Street in Toronto. Then I lived in a different city for many years--to study, and eventually to teach, music. On a recent TO visit, walking on Carlton, I learned Heinl has a new location. In making the move, they'd placed their old glass counter in the new shop's front room, exactly as it was in the old. What a powerful moment, what a flashback. People make light of music, they treat it as a "frill" and cut it from the schools, but--music is everywhere in daily life, it's at the heart of our humanity. We make friends through music, fall in love, get married, buried, and solace ourselves in mourning, all with music. Kids need music. It's their human birthright. And we're all kids inside.
Music is more important than school sports. It reaches way more kids. Yet, look where we are.
Thanks God for kind people in any nation. Those who helped Steve's family escape the massacre and the American family giving him the second chance
From a teacher and a mother…. This has such a full scope of positive benefits! We should be holding our educational system to a standard of understanding how children operate comprehensively! Society needs to invest in our children… education needs to be reformed, the money, resources, and care of children should truly be top priority. Remarkable film!
Really lovely testament to the value of public employees and to a diverse US - if you need an antidote to the hateful rhetoric + hopelessness of our current politics, this is an uplifting one.
"The value of public employees" we pay taxes for so many reasons, mostly well known. Some are unknown, unpublicized but necessary and wonderful. IRS can tax me a couple of bucks to support stuff like this.
Truly inspiring! I played piano, organ, and handbells in school. Music was very important to me...still is.
Absolutely beautiful. If we are to be a civilized country, one of the things we must ensure is the access to music for every child. Please support the arts at all levels, and wherever it is found.
There is a humility in people who fix objects, not found in any other area of life. Without them the stars could not heal and could not shine.
They work in silence, in back rooms, unseen and unheralded, but their co-workers and the people they serve, Know.
I was in tears from start to finish. in awe. Oscar-worthy indeed.
And they won the oscar tonight
As a middle schooler in LAUSD, it was amazing to see not one, but TWO people who go to my school near the end. Awesome documentary!
I smiled, I cried and I felt great joy. This is an incredible gift to humanity. I cannot thank you enough.
Armenians, move, declare yourself, make films, write books about us, about our true history, about the contribution of Armenians to the development of this civilization, so that the world knows and hears us. Do not be silent!!! Everything that is said about the events in Baku is absolutely true. My mother had a student from the city of Sumgait, where the purges of the Armenian population also took place. How much patience and tact it took my mother to bring this boy out of stress and not allow him to break down. This guy grew up and still thanks my mother for not letting him break. And the Azerbaijanis left Armenia and not a single hair fell from their heads.
Потрясающий фильм. Гениально. Такие разные люди, и музыка, любовь к музыке их собрала в одном месте, где они делают такую важную работу в жизни маленьких музыкантов! Конечно же меня особенно тронула история Стива, которому пришлось бежать с мамой и братом от чудовищной резни.
Дети такие красивые в этом фильме ❤
Teared up the whole movie. Started sobbing at the end when the alumni band started playing and they showed the schools they all graduated from.
This short film rouses the heart to find hope in the brokenness around us and to see agents of repair in ourselves… because the world needs to bask in a symphony of beautiful electrifying music to feel it is alive.
As a retired Band Director, thank you very much! Music has made many of my students successful.
Wonderful documentary & great stories! Myself & my family were Armenian refugees from Baku as Steve & his family. We left everything behind & moved to US for better life. Steve’s story brought all memories back. This is an educational film and a good example for the younger generation. I hope this documentary will be widely recognized.
Моя семья тоже из Баку. Мы переехали на Украину
I live in LA county and many of the school around me belong in this district. Although, they don’t always get funding right this one is! I’m so glad others are stepping up to help continue the funding and the tradesmanship of true craftsmen and women. Truly an inspiring documentary! The comments here are inspiring as well! I hope this will be the heartbeat of LAUSD.
So much goodness in 40 minutes. You can't help everyone, but you can do something. Heroes who are doing work that matters. Thank you for this gift to humanity.
just what I was thinking as I watched: "You can't do everything but you can do something." The woman from Mexico w/"the American dream" disillusioned but given a chance! and now she's doing all she can to give other kids a chance! wonderful. This is why we need documentaries, and music.
This short film was so uplifting and should be required in all middle and high school bands. Additionally, recognizing that music is a universal language, all school boards should be encouraged to watch it before ever considering questions about funding. It was excellent🎼🎸💞
As someone who finally got the guts to start playing an instrument at age 54, my hat goes off to these people. Music heals, and gives our lives a true purpose. These folks figured that out a while ago. I wish it hadn't taken me so long.
Go get 'em, Pete.
Inspired and humbled of these great individuals who sacrificed doing what love.
Bravo!
Hearing Dana come in on his guitar towards the end of that alumni performance absolutely SPIRALED ME. incredible film and music all around.
Great documentary! Thank you to all the repair technicians out there who keep the music alive for these students!♥
A delightful and interesting short film highlighting the unsung heroes of the music-making industry. They repair broken instruments but really repair the lives of those who play them. What a beautiful thing. Thanks you for making this film.
The repair folks are truly special people!
Music changes lives on every level. It’s the soundtrack to life. We love it so much. What a great film
One of the most heartwarming, touching stories ever. I remember being given the opportunity to learn the flute in 5th grade at my public school in the Pasadena Unified school district. Only because it was offered for free through the school district was I able to take advantage of the opportunity, since my mom was a single parent and funds were tight. The days that I brought my flute to school and got to go to band practice were the highlight of my week!
Beautiful documentary and music. It really hit a chord with me and almost made me cry. I learned to play the clarinet and saxophone in high school (Belmont) in those borrowed instruments back in the 1970's. I went on to play in the UCLA band and eventually bought my own instruments. I'm now 66 and have been playing in a community concert band for the last 40 years. Thank you repair shop and LAUSD for giving me a music education that have given me so much joy and a social and spiritual outlet throughout my entire adult life.
I’m here now ( 22 Mar ‘24 ) because I just read a CBC article about this documentary and have just finished watching it. It’s an absolutely beautiful work about our shared humanity + the circle of life. Beautiful stories brought together through the shared love of music. Thank you for bringing it to us. 😌♥️👍🏽🌟🇨🇦🌎✨
Congratulation on your Oscar win. This was a lovely documetary. It was wonderful to hear the instrument repair staff tell of their love for what they do. ❤🧡💛💚💙💜
BEAUTIFUL - thank you to the filmmakers for allowing everyone's soul to soar in this film x
One of the best docs I've seen regardless of length. I get tears in my eyes every time i watch it. Outstanding stories and storytelling. 100% Oscar worthy!
Nominated today!
II just watched it this afternoon, and was in tears by the end.
And it won!!
They took advantage of woke culture just to win an Oscar, could’ve been a great documentary, but it really isn’t
I watched this brilliant movie and sobbed. As wonderful as all the words are below, they don't don't do it full justice. You have to see it to fully understand why so many people are raving! After watching it the first time, I immediately watched it a second time. It is that good. The movie runs 40 minutes. It will be the most worthwhile 40 minutes of your week. The only error the movie creator made was not making it as a 2 hour full-length movie.
Thank you Chris Bowers and L.A. Times for producing this film. As a former music and math teacher for the Los Angeles Unified School District, this documentary brought tears to my eyes.
This is a life affirming story of hope in the face such ignorance and cruelty. Lifted my heart and spirit. Never give up.
My heart is full and I am in tears. As a daughter of a musician/singer, who was put in an orphanage as a young boy, a mom of a music major and a teacher of kids with learning disabilites and tough home lives, this movie has hit every emotion in me. Bravo to all who were involved with this film and here's to a Oscar nomination! xoxo
The level of film craft and heart here is astonishing. Well deserving of the Oscar. Very well deserved.
what a beautiful way to express love and humanity. Thankyou
The documentary opened with a powerful scene: a young African American girl's pure joy and innocence radiating as she spoke about her violin, juxtaposed with the sadness in her eyes when mentioning her home struggles. This captivating introduction set the stage for a film that explored the lives of both the people who meticulously repair instruments and the LAUSD children whose lives are enriched by them. These dedicated craftspeople don't just fix instruments; they become vessels of the “universe's sound” - the gift of music to kids who, like the violinist, have found solace and purpose through their fight to survive and thrive through music. The documentary resonated deeply with me. As a former SFUSD student who was also loaned a violin, I too could relate to the challenges of prioritizing music within a culture that often emphasizes academics. Now, at 38, this film has reignited my passion for music, inspiring me to challenge my limiting belief of not being musical and pursue the joy of learning to drum and dance. My deepest gratitude for LA Times and Searchlight Productions for shining the light on these incredible everyday people who provide meaning in the world.
Go for it and have fun.
No words. In a misery-filled world, this is a cup of sunshine and hope and love. Thank you for this inspiring and uplifting documentsry.
This was great! Music saved and enriched the technicians. And their works saved and enriched the students. Excellent!
The makers of this film manage to weave together the individual life threads of each student and instrument repair person skillfully and seamlessly. To see the historic references brought to life (former Soviet Bloc countries, Stonewall and the events and times surrounding it) and the impact on each life. The economic, societal and family pressures of everyone who found their people, places and voices in the musical world. It made me want to applaud each and every one. The performance at the end was a beautifully orchestrated allegory of all the lives that were shown before. Each note/person was a story unto itself, but together it created a true work of art. Cheers to the young people who are starting their life journey. Blessings to the former children who rose above painful circumstances and continue to lift up others.
This is an incredible comment on an incredible film. Perfectly stated.
What a beautiful short documentary!!! Well deserved Oscar win! Having been in band and played the trumpet on loan for three years in middle school made me connect even more and of course, I cried like a baby!
Such a beautiful and powerful story! Thank you for making this film.
Very well done documentary. Gives me faith in America. See for yourself and think about who all those characters are, where they come from, their parcourt, what they are contributing to public school children…amazing.
I started weeping 5 minutes into this film. I was deeply moved. So grateful this film was made. I don't know how well I could succeed in life without music, although I don't play an instrument. Such a beautiful film.
man! those stories really made me cry. an absolutely beautiful movie
congratulations on the win and godspeed with the labor of love you provide these kids and your community! ♥️♥️♥️♥️
Beautiful people who bring their gifts to others. I remember having to say to my children that there was no money for the violin as I struggled to keep shoes on their feet. I thank each of you for your gifts that will keep giving long after we are all gone.
Well deserving of the Oscar.
My heart is so full of joy and peace!
Thank you for bringing this documentary for all too see ,hear and enjoy!!❤
Thank you for your work and that of the entire production team, especially to those interviewed and Everyone involved in getting this documentary made. As an old classical musician, it’s so beautiful to see and hear people speak about their stories and connections with music. And thank you for putting it on UA-cam where I was able to see it.
Keep playing, keep paying it forward. Keep telling your stories.
I'm a Minneapolis Public School music teacher and I think this film is OUTSTANDING! LOVE! LOVE! LOVE! Incredibly strong messages. Thank you for creating this fantastic film.
Thank you!
Thank you--keep the music playing in the MN public schools!
Wow!!! I cried happy tears at the end. The personal stories were extraordinary. Thank you for making this documentary. Thank you to everyone in the Repair Shop. You have helped to make children's dreams come true. Simply amazing. ❤
I haven’t cried that much in front of a movie in a long time. These are tears of joy. What a beautiful way of sharing that behind a person there’s always a meaningful story. Thank you all of the creators and participants, all of you. For remind us we are still humans.
I loved this documentary. I can't stop smiling and crying. We need more films like this. Thank you ❤
We ARE all connected. Through our stories, our struggles, our triumphs, our fears, our loves, our memories. Everyone you pass by every day has a mountain of stories to tell. This film is a divine reminder of that.
Heart warming, wonderful true real life stories. Really moved me.
I was blessed to have landed in a school where Tony DeAngelis was the music teacher. In fourth grade I started to play the trumpet and music changed my life thanks to “Mr. D.” The Last Repair Shop is just such a testament to the power of music, mentorship and art that is hard to condense into words. Thank you Ben Proudfoot for your art and humanity. My favorite character from Ted Lasso had a saying that I will co-opt and change a little . . . “Music is life!”
So beautiful, so inspiring, so grateful! We had low brass players in our household through their college years, tuba, trombone, euphonium. And our daughter took up guitar as well, playing it until hours before her sudden passing.
THIS WAS SO BEAUTIFUL!!!!! Watching that sweet little angel go on stage to accept the award was SUCH a pleasure to behold.
Thank you for creating this documentary. I have goosebumps, tears, and joy in a little over 30 minutes.
This short film features true heroes without capes in our world. THANK YOU!! ❤❤❤
Could barely pause this video for a bathroom break - poignant, layered, gratifying WELL DONE. . .
I’m a music teacher in a neighboring district (different county) Ontario, CA and we see this in our music students. We are 100% title one and the connections made in this documentary is exactly why music education is so important! I am in tears. Thank you for such a wonderful story!
This one of the most moving docs I have ever seen. I have my own performance trauma do to many of these same reasons. It is very difficult to perform and no one is in the audience supporting you and advocating for your talent.
We heard on CBC Radio an interview with the producers of this remarkable documentary this morning and we decided to look for it on UA-cam; of course we found it and, honestly, it is one of the most moving documentaries we have seen in the past few years - it’s not just about the good work, the calling to service to community, it is much more, it is (in our opinion) at its core about the essence of being & becoming human. We salute the producers, directors and everyone involved - a jewel well deserving of an Oscar. Thank you Los Angeles Time for uploading it and sharing it with the world 🧡💜💙 LCA
I just watched THE LAST REPAIR SHOP and I'm now in tears and covered in goosebumps. What a powerful and important movie!
TO ALL WHO WERE INVOLVED IN THE MAKING OF THIS BEAUTIFUL TREASURE ... THANK YOU! 🥰🎶🎹🎻🎵❤
Such a beautiful documentary. Brings me to tears every time I watch it. I'm so beyond proud of my amazing dad, Steve... I love you! 🥲❤
What a beautiful film! Thank you to everyone who made this, including the students and repair shop - their stories were so touching. The Oscar is well-deserved.
Stunning! I'm in tears and smiles. As a retired music educator, I know the power great music has for all of us. I applaud L.A. and all of you who helped put this documentary together -- and who support music in our public schools. Thank you!
Congratulations on your well-deserved Oscar! And what a GREAT documentary... I'm in tears. And... wow. What a beautiful thread...the lives that were touched and changed by these amazing people!
Yes, I was in tears as well
This movie made me emotional. I hope the school kids will appreciate the love from these people on their instruments and will treat their instruments with special care. As an American Armenian and single mother proud of Steve and can totally relate to him and to Paty. 🫶❤️
As a young immigrant, in the early 70s in Los Angeles, I remember the day my little sisters came home with music instruments, one a violin, the other a sax, and thinking who in the world would let little girls take home such expensive instruments. I also remember my chest bursting with pride at the sight of my sisters trying to pry a note out of the instruments, but alas, we are not a musically talented family. Just the memory, though.