At Paige’s Music, the Oscar season buzz reached its peak with the trailer release of a remarkable short film, “The Last Repair Shop.” Directed by the talented duo Ben Proudfoot and Kris Bowers, this film offers an intimate glimpse into one of the remaining instrument repair shops in the U.S., uniquely managed by a school district—specifically, the Los Angeles Unified School District (LAUSD), the nation’s second-largest, educating over 600,000 students across more than 1,000 schools. To give some perspective, Indiana’s three largest school corporations combined would barely make the top 50 largest districts in the U.S.

Whether you’re a seasoned musician or someone who enjoys music from the sidelines, “The Last Repair Shop” delivers universally relatable and profoundly human stories. After watching, I felt compelled to share my key takeaways from this inspiring film:

The Unexpected Journeys Music Can Inspire
The film intricately follows Steve Bagmanyan, Shop Supervisor and Piano Technician, alongside his team—Dana Atkinson (String Technician), Paty Moreno (Brass Technician), and Duane Michaels (Woodwind Technician)—as they repair and prepare instruments for students. Their stories, from encountering Elvis to escaping war in Armenia, highlight music’s power to shape lives in unpredictable and meaningful ways.

The Power of Empathy and Support
This film emphasizes the importance of understanding and empathy, showcased by the technicians’ diverse backgrounds and the students they assist. At Paige’s Music, we often encounter individuals who hesitate to rent instruments due to financial constraints. However, similar to LAUSD’s efforts, we strive to provide solutions for families, reinforcing that financial barriers shouldn’t deter anyone from pursuing music.

The Ripple Effect of Kindness
“The Last Repair Shop” beautifully illustrates how acts of kindness, whether through career opportunities or the gift of an instrument, leave lasting impressions and inspire individuals to pay it forward. This is a value we cherish and witness daily at Paige’s Music, as our team endeavors to create memorable experiences for our customers, hoping to spread kindness further.

The Emotional Impact of Collective Music Making
The film’s concluding LAUSD Alumni Performance is a testament to the transformative power of music education. It showcases a diverse group of individuals united by their love for music, emphasizing that music is a universal language that transcends age, background, and skill level.

We feel that the message of this film is so important, that we decided to partner with the Kan-Kan Cinema and Restaurant for a giveaway! We will be giving away two sets of tickets for “The Last Repair Shop”* along with a $15 gift certificate for concessions. For instructions on how to sign up, follow this link!

Located in the historic Windsor Park neighborhood on the eastside of downtown Indianapolis, the Kan-Kan is the city’s only locally operated nonprofit arthouse cinema.

The Kan-Kan is powered by the Indianapolis Film Project, a nonprofit organization that supports and promotes film culture and community in Indianapolis. To that end, the Kan-Kan is the only cinema in Indianapolis that features repertory and first-run films curated exclusively by local film experts. Additionally, the Kan-Kan will screen locally made films, host visiting filmmakers, and house various community education and enrichment initiatives.

Learn more at KanKanIndy.com

*”The Last Repair Shop” is part of the 2024 OSCAR NOMINANTED SHORTS block screening at the Kan-Kan Cinema and Restaurant. The full block of shorts runs aprox. 141 minutes. Available showtimes include the following but not limited to:

Fri, Feb 16 2024 3:40pm

Sat, Feb 17 2024 6:30pm

Sun, Feb 18 2024 7:00pm

Tue, Feb 20 2024 7:45pm

Wed, Feb 21 2024 2:50pm

Thu, Feb 22 2024 5:15pm