Blackpink’s Lisa Manobal: How the Okay-pop star confronted a race scandal

What’s it prefer to be the principle character of an internet scandal?

That’s one of many questions raised in a brand new documentary about Lisa Manobal – one quarter of Okay-pop phenomenon Blackpink and a breakout star of TV present The White Lotus.

The movie captures an unfolding controversy, as leaked movies present Blackpink utilizing racial slurs after they have been teenage trainees within the Okay-pop system.

The clips, which emerged final 12 months, confirmed the band masking US rap songs throughout rehearsals. Explicit language, together with the n-word, was left uncensored.

The scandal blew up whereas Lisa was rehearsing for a pivotal efficiency on the Coachella Festival in 2025.

Offended and upset, some followers demanded an apology – however the band’s document label, forbade the members from issuing a press release.

With Lisa’s crew in disaster mode, documentarian Sue Kim adopted Lisa into her dressing room.

“I mentioned, ‘Look, I do know that is new. I do know you guys are wildly confused and harm, however that is your time to say no matter you need to say – even should you’re simply processing your ideas and telling us what you feel,” Kim tells the BBC.

The film-maker “actually anticipated her to say no”.

Instead, Lisa lay down on a settee and spoke from the guts.

“It’s unhealthy,” the singer says within the documentary, with a combination of disgrace and nerves.

Lisa explains she was “15 or 16” when the movies have been shot and “did not know that [word] was delicate as a result of I’m from Thailand and my first language is just not English”.

Having solely heard the time period in rap music, she was unaware of its offensive historical past.

“Now I’d by no means ever do this as a result of, now, I’ve received training,” she says. “Now I do know higher.

“But I did incorrect.”

It is a weak and human response – and nothing just like the scripted PR apology you would possibly anticipate. (Lisa has since apologised publicly, external in an interview with Variety, although some people remained unconvinced, external).

Kim says Lisa’s in-the-moment response is “some of the essential scenes” in her documentary, Always Lalisa, which hits cinemas on Monday, 12 October.

“There was no premeditation on Lisa’s half, there was no media coaching,” she provides.

“I requested her one query and she or he simply talked for an hour, and every thing got here out, and it is all stream of consciousness.

“And what you see with Lisa in that second is so real, it is unimaginable to not really feel compassion for her.”