IDEAS FOR GOOD hosted an online screening event: “Connecting through film, expanding the culture of repair” to celebrate the start of annual streaming license on cinemo

On August 6, the online media platform IDEAS FOR GOOD, which shares ideas for making society better, and UNITED PEOPLE co-hosted an online screening event titled “Connecting through film, expanding the culture of repair: ‘The Repair Cafe'”  The event marked the launch of the film’s annual streaming license on cinemo.

In October 2024, IDEAS FOR GOOD released its first original short documentary, “The Repair Cafe.”

“There is a story behind every broken item.”

Filmed in Amsterdam, the birthplace of the repair café movement, the documentary captures the everyday lives of people who fix things and those who watch them. In a world dominated by mass production and mass consumption, the film shows how choosing to repair can foster connection and enrich our lives. Within six months of its release, the film had been screened approximately 50 times and watched by over 1,000 people.

Inspired by the film, new repair cafe initiatives have begun in various regions across Japan, including Kameoka City in Kyoto and Mito City in Ibaraki. The culture of repair is steadily expanding.

To commemorate the launch of the annual streaming license on cinemo (in Japanese) in August 2025, IDEAS FOR GOOD and UNITED PEOPLE hosted this online screening event.

Following the screening, a cross-talk session was held featuring Kenji Sekine, CEO of UNITED PEOPLE, a film distribution company, and Masato Sezawa, the director of the film. They shared behind-the-scenes stories, insights into the making of the film, and ideas for embedding a repair culture into society. The conversation offered deep reflections on the essence of repair.

The event also introduced how to register for an annual license on cinemo and shared plans for a nationwide screening tour in Japan, scheduled for December 2025 to coincide with director Sezawa’s temporary return to Japan. The session provided helpful tips for those interested in starting their own repair cafes and those exploring community screenings, using film and dialogue as catalysts.

What is cinemo?

cinemo is operated by UNITED PEOPLE, a company dedicated to solving social issues through its business activities. It allows users to host independent screenings of films focused on social issues and the SDGs, discover screenings around Japan, and share reviews. Under the theme “films for a better future,” cinemo curates and distributes impactful films from around the world.

cinemo “The Repair Cafe” page: https://www.cinemo.info/137m (in Japanese)

From the past screening events

Screening at Patagonia Yokohama Kannai store

Screening hosted by IDEAS FOR GOOD

Post-screening discussion at Circular Economy Week in Utrecht, the Netherlands

Director’s talk following the screening hosted by Global Shapers Amsterdam in Amsterdam, the Netherlands

[Reference] “[Aug 6 Event] Connecting Through Film, Expanding the Culture of Repair: Online Screening of ‘The Repair Cafe’ to Celebrate the Launch of Its Annual License on cinemo” | IDEAS FOR GOOD (in Japanese)
[Related Site] IDEAS FOR GOOD (in Japanese)