Since 1959, a handful of devoted Los Angeles residents have been maintaining over 80,000 student instruments, which is the largest remaining workshop of its kind in the country. This workshop is highlighted in The Last Repair Shop, an award-winning and Oscar shortlisted documentary short film from Searchlight Pictures. Ahead of the short film’s arrival on Disney+ and Hulu, I had a chance to view the film full of heartwarming stories.
Children throughout Los Angeles have been directly impacted by this program, with many of those kids highlighted in this documentary. It’s very clear how much this program affects those kids, especially those who aren’t fortunate enough to afford their own instruments. In addition to hearing from some of those kids, we also get to hear emotional stories from four technicians in each department – who all have a very unique journey.
The film blends the unexpectedly intimate personal histories of the repair people with emotional, firsthand accounts from the actual student musicians for whom their instruments made all the difference. In charge of brass and the sole woman in the shop, Paty Moreno tells her story of pursuing the American dream as a Mexican immigrant and single mother. It’s clear how getting this job has not only helped her life, but also her kids and countless other kids who have used the instruments she has fixed.
I personally really enjoyed the story of Duane Michaels, a man who was previously a part of the hillbilly group Bodie Mountain Express. Having been picked on as a child, Duane deeply resonated with a scene in The Bride of Frankenstein, where Frankenstein’s monster comes across a blind man playing a violin. From there, Duane himself got a hold of a violin, and formed this group, who went on to perform in front of Elvis Presely, with numerous other celebrities, and even at Disneyland and Knott’s Berry Farm – all before retiring into his current job.
We’re also introduced to the charming general manager, Steve Bagmanyan, who despite language barriers, learned to tune pianos in America after surviving a harrowing escape from ethnic persecution in Azerbaijan in the late 1980s. His story is a fine example of how music can bring us all together, despite our differences. The film ends with a beautiful performance of a specially written score, “The Alumni,” performed by the subjects of the film.
The Last Repair Shop is a short, but very well put together documentary that instantly endears you to the subjects, through a wonderful score and emotional stories. You can stream The Last Repair Shop for yourself now on Disney+, Hulu (until February 22nd) and YouTube, with the full film embedded below for your viewing pleasure.