Whether you're just a casual fan or a full time "blink", everyone can take delight in the fact that South Korean pop sensation Blackpink -- an all-girl group -- teamed up with Netflix. Recently, a documentary about the group titled Blackpink: Light Up The Sky was released to overwhelmingly positive feedback.
Directed by Korean American filmmaker Caroline Suh and produced by RadicalMedia, Light Up The Sky reveals the inside story of each Blackpink member -- Jisoo, Jennie, Rosé and Lisa -- and follows the girls on their journey from their early days in training at YG Entertainment to becoming household names across the globe, including their historic performance at Coachella 2019. Along the way, the documentary features exclusive interviews and never-before-seen footage from their trainee years. Some highlights include behind-the-scenes access to the recording process of Blackpink's The Album, the band's first full-length album, and special glimpses of secret collaborations. Released in 190 countries, Light Up The Sky is the latest Netflix original music documentary to feature female acts following Lady Gaga, Beyoncé, and Taylor Swift.
"The film [Light Up The Sky] has kind of a simple story -- it's about young people realising their dreams through hard work and some heartache. I think that a story in which people are totally devoted and push through hard times is always inspiring," said director Caroline Suh.
"I wanted to find out how they went from being regular teenagers to becoming part of this huge phenomenon. As I got to know them more, I realised that underneath everything was this incredible strength, will, and determination. That was the story we wanted to tell."
Based in New York, Suh has over 20 years of experience directing and producing documentaries on a wide range of topics, cultures and subjects. Moreover, she has worked in films, series, commercials for CNN, Sundance Channel, PBS, History Channel, and many more. Previously, Suh also received rave reviews from critics for her cooking documentaries on Netflix including Cooked and Salt Fat Acid Heat. However, despite her lengthy career, this was the first time she directed a music documentary. Prior to filming and starting the project, she had little to no knowledge about Blackpink and the K-pop industry.
Blackpink: Light Up The Sky poster. Netfix Thailand
"Well, I'm Korean American, so I tend to be supportive of all things Korean [laughs]. I knew who Blackpink were but I knew very little about them or K-pop in general. My one link to this industry was my nephew who at that time was a high school student and he knew everything there is to know about K-pop. So he gave me a great lesson in K-pop history and from there I dove in and did a lot of research," she said.
"I really enjoyed working on the film. Blackpink's music is very fun and catchy and it is the centrepiece of this documentary. It was fun to work their music and incorporate it into the scenes. Also, amid the ongoing pandemic, it was very nice to have this escape into the world of Blackpink while we were editing."
After a few months of research and planning, Suh and her crew took a couple of trips to Korea to meet the group. She flew once in the autumn of 2019 and again just as coronavirus was starting to take hold in early 2020. During her time there, Suh had the opportunity to spend some time with and film each member of Blackpink. In the process, she also got to see some of their promotional work at appearances, gigs, as well as the opportunity to film them in their studio. In the documentary, viewers get a unique insight into the group's recording process of their new album and see how the girls work with YG Entertainment's top producer Teddy Park, the mastermind behind most of Blackpink's biggest hits.
"Teddy is incredibly well-spoken and all the girls talk about him fondly but also as a revered figure. After some time, I could understand why since he does have this kind of very old soul and he really is a great friend to them," she said.
An emotional moment at the Bangkok concert. Courtesy of Netflix
"When we were there, they were working on what's being released now, so we got to film them listening to Sour Candy, their collaboration with Lady Gaga before it got released. That was one of my favourite moments."
Meanwhile, the interview sessions in Light Up the Sky dive deep with each of Blackpink's four members -- Jisoo, the smart and calm big sister of the group who has a classic deadpan sense of humour; Jennie, known as the K-pop princess whose fierce onstage persona contrasts with her true shy, soft-spoken nature; Rosé, the New Zealand-born member who comes into her own as a singer-songwriter; and Lisa, the dancing queen with loads of positive energy and the group's only Thai member.
"When watching Blackpink or listening to their music, one may be blown away by how cutting edge they are in terms of their incredible production value from their customers, stage presence, and just how well-produced their music is. There's a lot expected of them as idols and I hope the film helps humanise them so the world sees them as actual people," said Suh.
The film also presents rare photographs and old footage of each member back when they were teens and shows their growth from their audition for YG Entertainment to now. Through all those gruelling years of training until their international success, the film depicts the highs and lows of being a K-pop star. The documentary also showcases each member's individual talent that when combined creates the unique DNA of Blackpink. Since their debut in 2016, Blackpink has never stopped dazzling audiences worldwide with hit after hit singles like Ddu-Du Ddu-Du, Whistle, How You Like That, Boombayah, Ice Cream, and Kill This Love, all of which helped make Blackpink a global phenomenon and amass millions of fans who refer to themselves as "Blinks", which is a combination of "bl/ack" and "p/ink". The group was the first all-female K-pop band to be featured at the top of Billboard's Emerging Artists chart, the first to get a record certified gold by the RIAA, and the first to appear on the cover of Billboard and have two music videos with over a billion views on YouTube.
Caroline Suh, director of Blackpink: Light Up The Sky. Netfix Thailand
While the documentary depicts the group's successful completion of the In Your Area World Tour, which took place between 2019 and early 2020 in North America, Europe, Oceania and Asia and features 32 shows in 23 cities, one the main focuses of the film is between their concert in Thailand, and their historic Coachella 2019 performance where the group became the first-ever K-pop group to take the stage.
"When they played at Coachella, we decided to feature that because that was a huge step for them as it was their first performance in the US and more importantly, it's such a huge festival and it kind of changed their perspective about themselves and how they perform," she said.
"Thailand was the first place where they began their world tour and also where they ended it. Jennie says in the film that Thailand makes her very emotional. I think that is because they're close to Lisa and Lisa's family and they feel Thailand is very special to them. We also wanted to show Lisa at home and how incredible it was for her to go back and have all of these fans welcoming her. It was kind of overwhelming. I think that Lisa is a really special and talented person and I know from her time performing in Thailand that it was incredibly special. I believe that every Blackpink member has a special place in their heart for Thailand. So, I hope Thai fans enjoy this film."
Blackpink: Light Up the Sky is now streaming on Netflix.
