[IDEAS FOR GOOD] Event Report | Screening of the film The Repair Cafe at FixFest in London

IDEAS FOR GOOD, the web media operated by Harch that shares ideas for making society “better,” produced the original short documentary film The Repair Cafe. On September 6, it was screened as part of “FixFest,” the global festival of repair held in London, United Kingdom.

FixFest is organized by The Restart Project and serves as a global gathering for community repair, bringing together repair activists, policymakers, and educators from around the world. This year, discussions and workshops on repair were held at The City Academy in Hackney, London.

Two screenings were held on the day. Participants included people involved in running Repair Cafes not only in the UK but also from Denmark, the Netherlands, and other parts of Europe.

After the screenings, there were opportunities for casual conversations with the audience. Many participants shared their impressions, saying, “It overlapped with what I have been feeling while doing repair myself,” and “I was deeply moved.” Others asked questions about production, such as, “How much time did you actually have to film the documentary?” Some participants even expressed, “I would love to screen this at the Repair Cafe I run.”

Through participating in FixFest, we were reminded that the driving forces behind repair include sentiments such as “healing the heart” and “seeking alternative economies.” These motivations are at the core of the movement.

* You can watch the aftermovie of FixFest at the link below (FixFest official LinkedIn).

In the UK, there are initiatives around repair led by companies, but what left an even stronger impression was the passion driving grassroots citizen-led activities. Leveraging the new connections made here, we aim to further expand our international efforts.

The film The Repair Cafe will continue to be screened in Japan, the Netherlands, and other locations. For those interested in hosting a screening, please see the dedicated page below.

[Reference] IDEAS FOR GOOD “The Repair Cafe” special site (in Japanese)
[Related Site] FixFest official site