Kwak Yeon-soo is a digital editor at The Korea Times creating, editing and curating digital content for the newspaper’s website, mobile app and social media. She previously covered a diverse array of cultural, political and business topics.
BLACKPINK documentary offers honest look at K-pop's biggest girl group
A scene from Netflix documentary “BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky” / Courtesy of Netflix
By Kwak Yeon-soo
By Kwak Yeon-soo
“BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky,” Netflix's first-ever documentary about a K-pop group, tracks the progress of its four members ― Jisoo, Jennie, Rose and Lisa ―from their early years as trainees to their rapid rise to stardom.
The feature-length documentary by “Salt Fat Acid Heat” director Caroline Suh, gives an intimate look at BLACKPINK's life and journey, filmed over the last few years.
It features never-before-seen footage of the BLACKPINK members in childhood and during their trainee years, as well as behind-the-scenes videos of the group's Coachella performance in 2019 and their world tour.
“We decided to shoot this documentary because we wanted to show a more honest and genuine side of ourselves to Blink (BLACKPINK's global fandom),” Jisoo said during an online press conference held in Seoul, Tuesday.
“However, it turned out to be a meaningful time for us too because we had honest conversations and realized how much we mean to each other. There wasn't any pressure in revealing our private lives.”
Members recalled how they felt when they started training and were dreaming of their future, and they happily reflected on meeting each other and forming a group.
“We're like a family. We have a special and strong teamwork because we trained together as teenagers and have grown together since then. Now, we can just look one another in the eye and know immediately what they need or how they feel,” Jennie said.
A scene from Netflix documentary “BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky” / Courtesy of Netflix
Rose, who teared up in a one-on-one interview, said the foursome answered questions about their careers and lives in the languages they feel most comfortable with: Jisoo in Korean, Jennie and Rose in English and Lisa in Thai. This way, they were able to share more than just canned responses.
“Every time I went into the interview room, I got nervous. But director Suh tore down the walls and I was able to open up and be honest when sharing stories,” Jennie said.
The film offers an examination of the members' trainee experiences that allows viewers to see how they endured years of extreme competition to reach a common goal.
“The most memorable moment was when we watched old footage of our performances and younger selves together through a big screen,” Lisa said. “For those who aspire to become K-pop artists, I'd like to say 'Have confidence and love yourself.'”
Director Caroline Suh, who joined through video call from the U.S., revealed that she had no particular interest in K-pop prior to working on the documentary but noted, “I was interested in how the members came together as a group and became the phenomena they are today.”
The director remarked on the hard work it took for the group members to achieve what they had and described them as “strong-willed, smart and cool.”
“I hope the audience gets to see more personal, individual sides of the members through this documentary,” she said.
The BLACKPINK members shared their goals and considered what their lives might look like in the next 10 years.
“I think music has become an extended form of art, and therefore we want to continue to challenge ourselves and keep transforming,” Jisoo said. “In the next 10 years, we hope to be active as members of BLACKPINK and find our strength.”
“BLACKPINK: Light Up the Sky” premiered on Netflix, Oct. 14.