Lisa Manobal, the Thai-born member of the global K-pop phenomenon Blackpink, takes center stage in a new documentary, Always Lalisa, which premieres in cinemas on October 12, 2026. The film provides an unfiltered look at the singer’s life as she navigates the pressures of international stardom, her departure from the rigid K-pop industry, and the fallout from a controversy involving historical footage of the band.
The documentary captures the singer during a turbulent period in 2025, specifically when a scandal erupted over leaked videos from her time as a teenage trainee. The footage showed Blackpink members rapping along to songs that contained racial slurs, including the n-word, which remained uncensored. As fans demanded accountability, the band’s record label blocked the artists from issuing statements, leaving the performers in a state of confusion and distress. What’s it like to be the main character of an online scandal. The clips, which emerged last year, showed the band covering US rap songs during rehearsals. But this is your time to say whatever you want to say – even if you’re just processing your thoughts and telling us what you’re feeling,” Kim tells, i know you guys are wildly confused and hurt.
Director Sue Kim, who was granted extensive access to Lisa during this time, recounts the moment she followed the singer into her dressing room while she was preparing for a pivotal performance at the 2025 Coachella Festival. Rather than offering a scripted response, Lisa spoke candidly on camera, expressing shame and explaining that at 15 or 16 years old, she had no understanding of the term’s offensive history or sensitivity, having grown up in Thailand with English as a secondary language. She emphasized that with the education she has now, she would never use such language, describing her earlier ignorance as a result of being unaware of the term’s context. Instead, Lisa lay down on a sofa and spoke from the heart. Lisa explains she was “15 or 16” when the videos were shot and “didn’t know that [word] was sensitive because I’m from Thailand and my first language is not English”.
Kim describes this unscripted moment as a defining scene of the film, noting that there was no media training or premeditation involved. The documentary aims to show a human, vulnerable side of the star that goes beyond the typical sanitized celebrity narrative. Although the film was commissioned by her former label’s film division, the director credits Lisa for allowing complete transparency, including scenes where the singer receives death threats or faces criticism from vocal coaches. External in an interview with Variety, although some people remained unconvinced, external ), it is a vulnerable and human response – and nothing like the scripted PR apology you might expect. (Lisa has since apologised publicly.
The central narrative of the documentary follows Lisa as she breaks away from the Korean entertainment company YG, which initially scouted her as a teenager, to sign with RCA Records in the US. This move marks her pursuit of creative freedom and a departure from the strictures of the K-pop system, which historically placed limitations on the performers’ personal lives, including prohibitions against alcohol and adult relationships.
Lisa reflects in the film on the internal conflict of wanting to maintain her career while living a more autonomous life. Turning 25 served as a turning point where she realized the necessity of personal independence. Her journey toward finding her own voice is mirrored by her acting debut in the third season of the drama series The White Lotus, where she portrayed a character named Mook Sornsin. While filming on location in Thailand, she was noted for her newfound social confidence, with colleagues observing her propensity to host lively gatherings.
Despite the challenges of her transition—including exhaustion from rigorous travel, the stress of death threats, and the vulnerability required to launch a solo career—Lisa successfully executed her Coachella performance. The documentary highlights the singer’s growth as she moves from a tentative, trainee-trained artist into an independent performer actively reclaiming her agency. Throughout the filming process, Lisa never requested the removal of any scenes, a decision the director calls an exceptional act of transparency for a performer of her stature.
