Bao Nguyen on Directing ‘BTS: The Return’

The world’s biggest boy group, backed by one of the most dedicated fanbases, has returned after a three-year hiatus, and this time, they’re revealing their most vulnerable side yet.

BTS needs no introduction. As a group, they have propelled K-pop onto the global stage, building a massive and devoted fanbase known as ARMY. Now, they are making waves once again with their comeback album Arirang, a title inspired by the traditional Korean folk song that exists in over 3,600 variations across 60 different versions.

This comeback encapsulates deep-seated sorrow, longing, and collective grief, all woven together with resilience and hope, emotions long associated with “Arirang.”

The album blends a wide range of genres and sounds, reflecting both personal and cultural storytelling.

To mark this highly anticipated return, Netflix hosted a global livestream event titled BTS THE COMEBACK LIVE | AIRANG on March 21, featuring special performances from the new release. Just a week later, on March 27, a documentary exploring the album’s creation, BTS: THE RETURN, was released.

Directed by Bao Nguyen, known for his powerful work on The Stringer and The Greatest Night in Pop, the film captures what he describes as an “almost impossible” project.

In an interview with The Knockturnal, Nguyen discusses BTS’s honesty and vulnerability, as well as the openness they brought to the production process.

With both ARMY and new viewers in mind, he also reflects on his perspective as an Asian American, highlighting the importance of representation, not only for the Korean community but for diverse audiences worldwide who may connect with the album’s themes and the group’s journey following their three years apart.

You are really no stranger to powerful documentaries with your line of work. And you’re taking on one of the most highly anticipated comebacks in global music, so it’s going to be remembered for a lifetime.

When you first came into this project, what did the early stages look like? BTS has been on hiatus for over three years now, and there’s a lot of anticipation. How did you approach the research for such a passionate, detail-oriented audience?

I mean, any project I go into, I come in deeply prepared, watching all the previous work and all the content that’s been made before.

I think BTS is probably one of the most documented musical groups today, so I couldn’t watch everything, but I wanted to get a sense of who they were as people and understand what makes them BTS, and what makes them individual members, too, right? I think sometimes people lump BTS into one monolithic group, when each member is so unique. I learned that over the process of making the film.

Having the previous work as a compass, but not necessarily an atlas, was really important. I also went in with a sense of discovery and curiosity. I think when a filmmaker has that sense of curiosity, it translates into the film itself. If you come in with too many assumptions and think the film is going to be exactly what you imagined, then it doesn’t have that sense of intimacy and connection that I hope my films have.

I want the audience to feel that curiosity too, that as I’m being curious, they lean in and become curious as well.

I was checking out your Instagram, and you described this project as something that was, at times, seemingly impossible.

For you, what was the most challenging or “impossible” aspect of bringing this documentary to life? Was there a specific moment where you felt like, okay, we pulled this off, we’re doing exactly what we wanted?

As you said, this is one of the most anticipated global comebacks in music history. So even being asked to be part of this project seemed impossible at first. You have to manage what seems impossible and realize that these are just human beings. They’re working day-to-day, just like anyone else. 

I think making any film feels impossible. So respect to all filmmakers and creators. because there are always failures and challenges. You’ll see that in this film, too, the hurdles the group went through. I thought it might be hard to make a film that could show the process honestly. I thought for a second that these are individuals who are at the top of their game. I also thought I was coming in too late, that they’d be approaching the finishing touches.

But within the first few days of filming, you could see the anxiety and uncertainty they were dealing with during the process. I think that makes them more human. Even though they’re an incredibly talented group of young men, they have the same anxieties we all have.

You’re touching on honesty, and I feel like in K-pop, it’s rare to see unfiltered, behind-the-scenes moments. With a group as big as BTS, was it a challenge to capture that level of intimacy? 

What was important for you when capturing those honest, candid moments?

 I’ve worked with a lot of big artists before, and breaking down that wall of celebrity and fame, making them feel human, is really important to me. The technical approach is very important for that.

We were using tripods and long zoom lenses from afar, so we weren’t intrusive in the beginning. I knew they were working on a new album, their dealing with anxiety, and needed space to create.

I wouldn’t want a camera in my face while working, so we respected that. We tried to be like “flies on the wall” as much as possible.But as we built trust with the members, they started to open up to us, both literally and figuratively.

For example, V would look directly into the camera all the time; he likes interacting. The members would smile, call me nicknames, I could tell the relationship wasn’t transactional, but collaborative. As they let their guard down, we were able to get closer and see the honesty.

That came across through most of the scenes in the film, with producers, within the group, and even with their label, especially during debates about the album’s direction. And I think we should give credit to people willing to be that vulnerable on camera.

Speaking of that dynamic, was there anything that surprised you in the final product? Something ARMY, or new viewers, don’t usually get to see?

 What I love about ARMY is how generous they are to new fans and people from all generations, races, and backgrounds.

So I can’t speak for what all fans and ARMY will find unique and distinct, but for me, something really enlightening was realizing the pressure they carry because they’re the biggest band in the world, but also as representatives of an entire country. That didn’t fully hit me until I saw conversations about ARIRANG and how much thought they put into it, how much they speak in Korean. 

I think RM and Jungkook on the balcony scene say whatever they make will be their version of ARIRANG. They’re so thoughtful about these things. 

As an Asian-American myself, seeing a group like that having to ‘Swim’ through these different currents of identity and national identity, and being these cultural ambassadors, it was fascinating to me.

Your perspective is so important, especially when thinking about ARMY as the audience, the biggest fanbase in the world! How much did ARMY influence your approach to the film?

I got to hear how much the group was thinking about ARMY while making the album. I wanted the film to be through the group’s perspective, how they see things, how they experienced Los Angeles, instead of an outside perspective.

There are like two scenes where you see the outside perspective, sort of like ARMY’s perspective or the world’s perspective on the events, like the Dodgers’ first pitch with V and then with the live stream, the Weverse on the beach, right? ARMY is in this film through these moments where the group is in public.

The group always, in the back of their head when they’re making stuff, they were thinking about how ARMY would react, and I think that was like, that was a love letter too to ARMY about how much, you know, this return meant to them, and how much they were sculpting the album to think about ARMY. That was the way that we kind of included ARMY. I think that relationship is so important. I think I wouldn’t have made [that perspective in] the film without witnessing ARMY and BTS’s relationship during the SoFi Stadium show back in 2021.