Love them or hate them, you can’t deny BTS’s success. Five Grammy nominations and six Billboard Hot 100-topping singles later, the seven-member act has captured the hearts of millions worldwide. Still, fandom is just as important as the artist it adores. The documentary FOREVER WE ARE YOUNG shines a light on the BTS Army’s multifaceted fandom, focusing on how their collective action and organization contributed to BTS’s worldwide domination.
When I saw the title, a familiar melody played in my head from Epilogue: Young Forever, which couldn’t be a coincidence. To my relief, co-directors Grace Lee and Patty Ahn frame the project as being “made BY ARMY FOR ARMY.” I’d trust only the fandom itself to offer “an unprecedented look at the deep emotional connection between the band and their fans through the lens of personal stories, global fan movements, and unforgettable concert memories,” as the press release for the movie states.
As a researcher and lover of expertise, I appreciate an educated producer. Seeing that one of Ahn’s academic focuses has been on the cross-cultural influence of K-Pop and its globalization has only made me more excited about the project. Not to mention executive producer and “cultural documentarian” Oscar-winning Morgan Neville’s work on intriguing projects like Won’t You Be My Neighbor? (which I’m still dying to see) and Piece by Piece (which I did see but deeply baffled me). The FOREVER WE ARE YOUNG was first screened at the 2025 SXSW, “with sold out audiences earning standing ovations and high praise from BTS fans and film lovers alike.” per the movie’s press release.
