MANILA, Philippines – “It’s our first time to document the behind the scenes of our career.” SB19 leader Pablo said during the premiere night of PAGTATAG! The Documentary last Sunday, August 25 in Quezon City.
It would be normal for the fans of the P-pop boy group to see the five members play games, go about their days, and hang out with each other, but the documentary film directed by Jed Regala went beyond their boys-next-door persona, and showed them as serious artists evolving their art.
It features what happened behind the scenes of the recently-concluded PAGTATAG! era – from the preparations for the kick-off concert, the Philippine tour, the tour in the United States and Canada, the legal hurdles they had with their group name, the canceled Asia shows, and the eventual resolution of the legal issues.
It also shows how the group pushed through with the remaining Asia stops, and how they geared up for the PAGTATAG! finale concerts.
The video footage shows the realities of touring – traveling without their full team, hauling suitcases from airports, sleeping in overnight buses and doing shows the next day. The documentary shows the members packing their own luggage, steaming their own clothes, and even minding their own outfit changes sans assistants during concert breaks.
During the talkback session after the premiere night, SB19’s main dancer Ken said he wanted fans to understand that they are “humans, too. ‘Yung ibang fans namin, tinitingala kami as perfect creatures. Pero dumadanas din po kami ng paghihirap, ‘yung struggles namin.”
(Some of our fans look at us as if we’re perfect creatures, but we’re not. We also have a hard time and we have struggles.)
The film also shows how the travels and shows took a toll on the members physically. There was a time when Justin was not feeling well, but he still pushed himself to do the show. He is seen blowing his nose in between concert stages. There is a moment when Stell asks for Lola Remedios, a food supplement syrup that helps relieve throat discomfort or flu-like symptoms.
“Mahilig talaga ako sa Lola [Remedios],” Stell even joked during the talkback session.
(I really like taking Lola Remedios.)
During the premiere night, Pablo shared how appreciative he was that the documentary team gave him private time when he would have his panic attack before the show starts. He said he had been struggling with anxiety and he needed time to calm himself during stressful situations.
Josh, meantime, talked in depth about the anxiety for their shows abroad. He admitted there was a time they had to “fake” confidence on tour, projecting a self-assurance they didn’t feel.
“Mahirap na pumunta ka sa ibang bansa, at kailangan na may impression kaming iwan sa kanila. Napakahirap po na fine-fake namin kahit sobrang mamamatay na kami sa anxiety and kaba bago mag-perform,” he shared during the premiere night.
(It’s hard to go abroad and you are pressured to leave a good impression there. It was so hard to fake it even though we were dying inside from the anxiety and nervousness before our performance.)
But Josh also shared that he wanted fans to understand that “It’s possible to do the impossible – just look at us and where we are now.”
Legal battle
When the documentary screening was announced, fans assumed that the group will discuss the legal issues they went through in November 2023. It was an incredibly stressful time in SB19’s life as a band – it had come to a point when the group was not allowed to use their name. They were also forced to cancel several shows in their Asia tour, much to the fans’ dismay.
The issue was settled in December, with the group saying it had an “amicable agreement” with ShowBT Philippines Corp, but the fans still had their own theories and conjectures.
Sadly, the documentary did not help clear up the mystery – but fans understood the group would have been constrained by a non-disclosure agreement.
When asked if these issues affected the production of the film, director Jed Regala said, “It was the film’s plot twist that happened during the middle of things when everything’s so high up. That plot twist really took everyone by surprise.”
“During that time, sa sitwasyon namin, we don’t have the mind to ‘Magpa-video tayo, i-document ‘tong mga bagay na ‘to’,” Justin added.
(During that time, in that situation, we didn’t have the headspace to think about taking videos or documenting what was going on.)
The five members were all in agreement that the legal battle made the PAGTATAG! era live up to its name – which means “to lay the foundation.”
Next chapter
Pablo admitted that what they went through gave him newfound courage – it bullet-proofed him against a whimsical and repetitive industry. He said he was able to see how hard they worked together and appreciated the people who were with them from the beginning.
At the premiere night, Josh teased that “Simula At Wakas”, the next part of the group’s EP trilogy, is coming “very soon.” Justin happily shared their preparations has synergy with the title, and Pablo added they are taking their time to prepare for their next releases.
The SB19 leader also said, in terms of the group’s artistry, SB19 always tries to explore “exciting” and “scary.”
“Hindi kami napipigilan ng ‘unknown’ from the very beginning kasi sigurado kami sa gusto namin, basta kasama namin ang supporters at team namin.”
(We never let the unknown hold us back from the very beginning, because we were sure of what we wanted to do and achieve. As long as our supporters and our team are behind us.)
PAGTATAG! The Documentary has a limited screening in cinemas in the Philippines from August 28 to September 1. – Rappler.com