‘The Last Repair Shop’ A Reason To Smile DAN RATHER AND TEAM STEADY MAR 24 Porché Brinker, Ben Proudfoot, and Kris Bowers accept the Best Documentary Short Film award for “The Last Repair Shop” (credit: Getty Images) This week’s A Reason To Smile is a bit of a departure, but please bear with me. When I watched the Academy Awards two weeks ago, I was intrigued by the title of the winner for best documentary short: “The Last Repair Shop.” I was also intrigued by the little girl who went up to accept the Oscar with the filmmakers. So I decided to watch the documentary. It’s just under 40 minutes long, and I’m so glad I took the time.  The short film is a gem. It tells the story of the shop that maintains and repairs 80,000 musical instruments given to Los Angeles public school children at no cost. The movie is anchored by four craftsmen and four students, all of whose lives have been changed by music. Great characters make great stories. “The Last Repair Shop” is a shimmering example of this truism. Their dedication to the craft of repairing instruments — and by extension, to the students — struck me. With all the bluster, hand-wringing and angst we encounter every day, it is nice to know that there are people quietly fixing tubas and violins for deserving children.  I hope you will watch and agree that it is a reason to smile.   If you are able to do so, please support my team, who make pieces like this possible.