The Tribeca Festival returned this month with some of storytelling’s finest documentaries to hit the silver screen, including the heartfelt story of The Rose, an indie South Korean group as they navigate through the harsh world of the music industry.
The Rose: Comeback to Me is the perfect survival documentary underscoring mental health, perseverance, vulnerability, and creative rebirth. Like the artistic Rocky Balboa’s of South Korea, The Rose’s tale exemplifies how an underdog rises to the top by staying true to their beliefs, working together as a team, and the sheer healing power of music.
“For us, getting it out there [about mental health], if we can help other people going through similar things as we are, and seeing we can get better this way through music or just being yourself is what we are here [for,] to share it all,” Woosung Sammy Kim told amNewYork.
The Rose: Comeback to Me is a raw and gritty film that depicts the band’s identity and the inspiration behind its music. This story details the individual voyages of Woosung Sammy Kim, Dojoon Leo Park, Hajoon Dylan Lee, and Taegyeom Jeff Lee and explains why they chose the arduous path to become musicians.
“From quiet moments to global stages, what shines through is the band’s authenticity, artistry and undeniable chemistry The Rose: Come Cack to Me is a reminder of how powerful it can be when musicians write their own narrative and share it with the world,” Cara Cusumano, Tribeca Festival Director said during the film’s Tribeca Festival premiere on June 6th at Spring Studios.
For many aspiring singers in South Korea, their first introduction to the entertainment industry is through K-Pop training. Considered the Olympic sports training of music, this system is laser-focused on creating the ideal idols who dance, sing, act, and look the part to perfection. It is the preliminary path some artists take on what they hope to be the road to stardom. It is here where The Rose members crossed paths and formed everlasting bonds throughout each obstacle presented.
Together, they cast aside the strict control of K-Pop and let loose to find their own voices and creativity through their newly formed band The Rose. From busking on the streets of Seoul, South Korea, in 2016 to selling out Los Angeles’ Kia Forum in 2023, these young men fought to keep their individuality and voice.
“I think [K-Pop] can be a difficult system to go through, but I think it’s about so much more than that. It’s just another way people get trained into music, the comparison that people make is like youth sports,” Director Eugene Yi told amNewYork.
“What’s really important for them is that they decided to choose their own path. I think that’s a great story to hear in a Korean context, but also in a bigger context. Especially now with stories about people choosing their own path,” he added.
After over two years of filming, Director Eugene Yi credits the help from producers Diane Quon, Sanjay Sharma, Milan Chakraborty, James Shin, Joe Plummer, and others who worked with The Rose to build a level of trust that allowed the members to be open and vulnerable. Yi captured moments where these rockstars tearfully shared their breaking moments, and a feeling of despair that their future as musicians could crumble at any moment.
The Rose: Come Back to Me premiered its captivating story on June 6 at the Tribeca Festival and earned the accolade of second runner-up in the festival’s Audience Award. In an exclusive interview with The Rose with amNewYork, the band shared their excitement to be at a film festival for the first time and to show the world what nine years of their life was like.
“I wish we could have shown more, but maybe it’s because it’s our story so we know every detail,” Woosung Sammy Kim told amNewYork. “We are very stoked for people to see it. There are a lot of sensitive topics that people don’t often talk about.”
Dojoon Leo Park tapped his foot onto the red carpet and smiled proudly, sharing that this was The Rose’s first time on the carpet for a film premiere. For Park, sharing the whirlwind of their lives was a cathartic experience, something that they were hoping to share for many years, which was why he made sure to meticulously record numerous aspects of their career.
“We were just open to show not only the good side of what’s happening with the K-Pop industry. We were open to show every aspect, whether it was good or bad. That’s what we wanted to do. We wanted to stay true,” Dojoon Leo Park said.
“I wanted to use this footage to show everyone how we come through,” he said.
“Really, we are just four human beings going through life, just like anybody else. If people are interested in seeing it, then we should show them the correct version. Not something polished. That’s not who we are at the end of the day. We make mistakes because we are vulnerable, and we are all human. We wanted to showcase that. We are no different than anybody else,” Woosung Sammy Kim added.
This unfiltered story detailed how The Rose underwent constant scrutiny for their choice in debut song, “Sorry”—which was hardly promoted by their former management team but still garnered millions of views— and to simply be true to their own stories instead of the traditional K-Pop mold. This was followed by an unprecedented lawsuit against their former company to break free from their contract, and the film showcased their vulnerability, inner turmoil, mandatory military service during the global pandemic, and sheer joy during success and resilience.
In one poignant stance, Taegyeom Jeff Lee discussed falling into a deep depression, but with the support of his members and through music, he was able to persevere and write the song “See-Saw.” It was at that point that he shared how fans had also confessed that The Rose’s music had saved them from dark times, including thoughts of suicide.
“I found the reason why I make music and write the lyrics, and when I am with my members making songs and performing, and when fans say [Your music saved my life], we talk about how music is healing. We’ve healed from music, and our fans are healing from our music. Music is healing. I realized that,” Taegyeom Jeff Lee said.
During the world premiere of The Rose: Come Back the band playfully interacted with the audience and performed their hit song “She’s in the Rain,” and two songs from their newly released album THE WRLD, “Nebula” and “O.” During opening weekend, the film sold out all four showings with over 600 seats filled, and the documentary was deemed a Tribeca hit by fans.
The Rose will return to New York City on July 12 for the North American tour stop at The Theater at Madison Square Garden.
