Serenading The Fandom: Forever We Are Young

Why You Should Watch BTS ARMY: Forever We Are Young

Last night my three daughters and I sat in a smallish theater surrounded by fellow BTS fans and watched BTS ARMY: Forever We Are Young, a documentary on the global fandom that is the BTS ARMY. A few months ago when this well made documentary premiered at SXSW, my interest was piqued. I figured I would eventually catch it on the small screen whenever it hit some streaming service. Then, an occasional post slamming the creators would show up on my feed. I was not vested in it yet so I never looked up what the controversy was about. Then, the film hit a theater near me and I knew I wanted to go. But before that, I went diving to see what the controversy was about.

In a nutshell, the creators were outspoken about Palestine and wanted the people they idolized to take a stance. Fair enough I thought, because in my mind, speaking up about a genocide especially for a group that has been underdogs and whose discography is largely about bucking the system is on point. I went looking to see if the subjects in the documentary said anything about working with the crew or how they felt like they were not fairly portrayed in the film. Nothing came up in my search and that was enough for me.

I am still thinking about the film the morning after. Over an hour and half we get to see the growth of a nascent fandom into the global powerhouse it is now. For a fledgling ARMY like myself, this was a peek into something I hold dear in my heart. Next to me, my non card carrying ARMY daughter ugly cried when fans spoke of BTS finding them at their lowest. She sobbed when another fan spoke of how the groups non toxic masculinity was something they could relate to.

We get to watch BTS perform at Troubadour for a 200 strong audience and when the movie ends, we get this montage of a packed SoFi stadium bathed in a sea of purple lights. I had goosebumps watching it. Throughout the movie, montages of BTS concerts were interwoven with everyday people sharing stories of how BTS found them. We had women in America's heartland showing how they were the only person to know who BTS was in their entire county. We had fans in Mexico bonding and making friends. We had women in Indonesia finding BTS when they needed them the most.

In the midst of this, we also get to see how community organizing works. We watch as fans worldwide get together to strategize, chart and propel their idols to superstardom. There is a lesson in here for all those involved in grass roots organizing. Through it all, what was common was the thread of humanity that bound us all. The reason we became ARMY. The boys at the center of the fandom who, by showing they were vulnerable, made us want to be the best versions of ourselves every single day.

So, yes, if you are curious about the BTS fandom, if you are a baby ARMY, if you are a veteran OT7 from pre-debut days, you should go and support this film. Your showing up is for the subjects of the documentary who have shared incredibly vulnerable footage of themselves for the greater good.

Be the ARMY BTS will be proud of.