Introduction

Do you have broken items gathering dust at home?

Think of a frayed sweater, a cracked tablet, or an old toy you once loved as a child. Each item has its own story to tell. But in our consumerist society, it often feels natural to toss something out and buy something new. Repairing can be more expensive or simply not accessible.

That’s why there’s a place where local volunteers repair broken devices, clothing, bikes, and much more — for free: the Repair Cafe.
IDEAS FOR GOOD created its first short documentary about this movement, which began in Amsterdam. The film follows a Repair Cafe in their day-to-day work and shows how repair connects people and their stories — offering a new perspective on our belongings and a richer, more meaningful life.

In July 2024, a new EU directive came into effect that requires manufacturers to offer repair services for TVs, vacuum cleaners, phones, and eight other product categories — up to 10 years after purchase. As well as Asia, the Japanese cabinet decision was also made in July 2024 to promote a circular economy, positioning repair as a key tool for regional revitalisation and lifestyle change.

Now that our planet is nearing its ‘planetary boundaries’, it’s time to rethink our approach: How can repair and reuse help build a richer, more sustainable society?

Review

Director’s message

My first encounter with a Repair Café was during a trip to the Netherlands in autumn 2022. I saw an elderly man in a wheelchair bring in an old wall clock, and as I watched the repairer examine it, I realised that perhaps what they were truly repairing was not just objects, but memories.

A year later, after moving to Amsterdam, I began filming at Repair Cafés. I soon noticed that they were repairing not only “memories” but also “communities” in cities struggling with loneliness — and even the structure of a society built on endless consumption and competition. This film attempts to capture the diverse values created through the practice of repair.

While producing the film, I was also inspired by the Repair Café to fix my own broken smartphone and watch. Repair requires creativity. Through repair, a “five-year-old outdated phone” became “a cherished phone I repaired myself”. Many of the people I met at Repair Cafés have since become close friends.

I hope this film inspires you to see your belongings differently, and to remember the people connected to them with greater appreciation.

Masato Sezawa, Creative Director, IDEAS FOR GOOD

Based in Amsterdam and originally from Tokyo, Masato Sezawa is a filmmaker, journalist, and creative director specialising in sustainability, the circular economy, and repair culture.

He directed and produced the documentary The Repair Café, which was nominated at the Amsterdam Buurt Film Festival 2025, featured by Nikkei(a parent company of Financial Times) and NHK WORLD(Japanese National TV), and selected for a Japanese government exhibition at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai. The film has been screened more than 300 times for over 16,000 viewers internationally.

Masato has developed projects with organisations including Patagonia, Goldwin, Hitachi, EY Netherlands, the Municipality of Amsterdam, the University of Amsterdam, and FixFest in London. His international film work also includes Life and Other Problems, the opening film of CPH:DOX 2024, and Dear Tomorrow, presented at SXSW 2025.

Amsterdam Buurt Film Festival (ABFF2025) Nomination

In December 2024, this documentary was nominated for screening at the 9th Amsterdam Buurt Film Festival (ABFF2025).

The screening is scheduled to take place on February 9, 2025, at the Amsterdam Central Public Library(OBA).

Media Coverage

• Business Insider Japan (in Japanese)
• Japanese Public Broadcaster, NHK World, “The repair renaissance: how fixing made a global comeback” (broadcast in over 160 countries and to 3 million YouTube subscribers).
• The largest financial newspaper in Japan, Nikkei (The parent company of Financial Times, with over 1 million subscribers).

Join us!

Would you like to inspire your organisation to think more circularly, to embrace repair and reuse? Then consider showing “The Repair Cafe,” a short and inspiring documentary that reveals how broken items can be given new life and how this process connects people.

The film offers a warm, hopeful view of the circular economy in action, featuring real stories and tangible examples. After the screening, it’s possible to invite director Masato Sezawa for a live, interactive talk moderated by our team. In this follow-up session, Masato dives deeper into the stories behind the film, the impact of the Repair Cafe movement, and how this mindset can be applied in your own organisation or municipality. He also reflects on cultural differences between the Netherlands and Japan, and what both countries can learn from each other.

Possible uses for screenings

• Municipalities working on circular policies or community inspiration
• Organizations aiming to inspire their employees
• Events focused on sustainability, innovation, or community building
• Educational institutions and cultural centers

Plans available

• Screening only
• Screening + Director talk + Q&A + Moderator
• Screening + Director talk + Q&A + Moderator + Panel discussion

* Each plan is available as a non-profit option for NPOs and a commercial option for companies. Please click the button below to visit the website of Van Loof (our distributor) and make an inquiry.

Event Report

Screening of the film The Repair Cafe at FixFest in London
On Oct 2, 2025

The Repair Cafe screened at TBS SDGs event “Plaza to Make the Earth Smile”
On May 29, 2025

Screening of the film The Repair Cafe held during Circular Economy Week in Utrecht, the Netherlands
On Apr 17, 2025

Partner

Support: Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands

Directed, Filmed, and Edited by Masato Sezawa
Presented by IDEAS FOR GOOD, In Collaboration with Repair Café International.
Cinematography Support by Koyo Tatsunokuchi, Creative Advisory by Masaki Hirose, Translation Support by Arika Yoshino, Amita Janssen
2024 / Netherlands / 30 min / Colour / Subtitles English, Dutch, Japanese