A 1927 Steinway gets a second life, and it'll make you cry over wood glue.
The restoration of a Steinway becomes a lyrical meditation on following the heart's true passion in this beautifully crafted documentary. A wonderful Bay Area tale, the film traces the path of a 1927 grand piano owned by a music teacher who bequeathed her treasure to her alma mater, UC Berkeley, with the stipulation that the university ultimately reward it to "a worthy student of piano." Before it can be given away, however, it must be restored, and here the essence of the story unfolds, as Korty follows the piano's rebirth under the masterful care of Oakland's venerable Callahan Piano Service.
Direction
Korty finds poetry in every shaving of spruce.
Sound
John Lithgow's narration is a warm blanket for your ears.
Production
Callahan's workshop feels like a secret temple.
Director
John Korty
Trivia, insights & behind the scenes
John Korty was already an Oscar winner for his 1966 short 'The Breaking Point' before he fell in love with this piano's story.
The film quietly documents a dying art—fewer than 20 full-service piano restoration shops remain in the entire Bay Area today.
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