Without any tickets in hand, SB19 fans (better known as A’TIN) James, Kaye, and AC went to the Gateway Cinemas in Cubao, Quezon City last Sunday, August 25, praying for a chance to be given tickets to the premiere of SB19: PAGTATAG! The Documentary. Should they luck out in gaining tickets, they would be happy at the opportunity of just seeing their idols in person.
James, Kaye, and AC weren’t the only A’TIN who formed crowds of screaming fans waiting to see the five-member Filipino boy band who have been lauded as the “Kings of P-pop.” Muscled security and bouncers were visibly hard at work to ensure that things stayed under control during the premiere of PAGTATAG! The Documentary.
The documentary, which followed SB19 on their PAGTATAG! World Tour was first conceived by director Jed Regala, who worked with them on their “I Want You” music video. Charmed by the boys, Regala played with the idea of shooting a documentary featuring the band. “Let’s follow them and see what happens,” Regala recalled saying as he was mulling over the idea of an SB19 documentary.
“I believe that this is the first documentary of this level for P-Pop. And I’m very proud of it,” Regala said during the press conference that followed the premiere screening.
An authentic and intimate look
Photographed by Paul Cheng
When asked what they want their fans to take out of the documentary, SB19’s Ken answered, “I want to tell them that we’re humans, too. ‘Yung ibang fans namin, tinitingala kami (Some of our fans look up to us) as perfect, but we’re also human. Dumadanas din kami ng hirap (We’ve also experienced difficulties). This kind of documentary, this is a way na mapakita na tao din kami (to show everyone that we’re human, too), and it’s really helpful for us to connect with the fans, para makita rin nila (so they can see) who we really are.”
And indeed, on PAGTATAG! The Documentary, the curtains are drawn back and fans get to see the boys at their most vulnerable — feeling sick, having bad days, and suffering from panic attacks. In one scene, Pablo was shown shaking with anxiety before a show. After seeing the documentary, Pablo shared his renewed passion in their craft: “Watching this documentary, nakita ko ‘yung hardship namin (I saw our hardships). Nakikita ko kung sino ‘yung mga taong tumutulong sa amin (I saw the people who really helped us in those days). So mabibigyan ka talaga ng fire ulit para mag-perform, kasi alam mo na kasama mo talaga ang mga tao na sumusuporta sayo. Tapos mapapaalala sa ‘yo ‘yung dahilan kung bakit mo siya sinimulan in the first place. (It renewed the fire in us to perform, because we knew that we were with the people who supported us, and we are reminded of the reason we started this in the first place.)”
What’s in a name?
Photographed by Paul Cheng
The documentary also sheds light on the group’s recent legal woes with the use of the name ‘SB19.’ In the middle of their PAGTATAG! World Tour, the boys and their management received word that they could no longer use the name that they’ve established themselves with. What followed was a whirlwind of questions, uncertainty, and endless meetings on their management’s end to resolve the problem.
The documentary doesn’t have much footage of the group during that period, as the members of SB19 simply didn’t think about taking videos of themselves then, as well as the matter of confidentiality. “Kung ano ‘yung napanood niyo, ganon po talaga ‘yung nangyari (Whatever you watched, that’s what really happened),” said Justin. “I think na-present naman namin nang maayos ‘yung story (I think we managed to present the story appropriately). The important thing is how we were able to overcome that struggle.”
Pushing forward to the next era
Photographed by Paul Cheng
PAGTATAG! The Documentary ends with the group saying that they are ready to move to the next era, signifying an end to this chapter of their journey.
When asked about what their next era entailed, Pablo echoed that it is indeed exciting and scary, but hasn’t SB19 been all about exploring the unknown? He elaborated by saying, “Sa totoo lang buhay naman kami sa Philippines, so bakit pa namin kailangan lumabas para makipagsapalaran? Mag-i-invest ka; hindi mo alam kung may manonood sa ’yo. Pero ginagawa namin siya dahil mahal na mahal namin ‘yung ginagawa namin. (The truth is we were already thriving in the Philippines, so why did we have to make a gamble to go on a world tour, to invest a lot without knowing who would watch us? But we did it because we really love what we are doing.)”
“And the unknown cannot stop us,” he continues. “From the beginning, alam namin ang gusto naming gawin (we already knew what we wanted to do). It’s always ‘push forward, push forward.’”
As their PAGTATAG! chapter comes to a close — not without its own drama and challenges — fans and audiences will get to see the group’s passion and resilience. When asked for a message to their idols, AC, who went to the premiere without a ticket, said while trying to hold back tears, “Proud na proud ako sa kanilang lima. Kung wala sa kanila ang lumaban, walang SB19, walang A’TIN. (I’m really proud of the five of them. If they didn’t keep going, there wouldn’t be SB19 or A’TIN.)” And if PAGTATAG! The Documentary is any indication, Pablo, Stell, Justin, Ken, and Josh still have a lot of fight left in them.
SB19: PAGTATAG! The Documentary will have a limited theatrical run from August 28 to September 1, 2024.