Bubble tea and BTS: Inside Winnipeg's thriving K-pop fan scene - Action News
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Bubble tea and BTS: Inside Winnipeg's thriving K-pop fan scene

In fan meetups, K-pop lovers in Winnipeg share their passion for the performers, high-energy dance routines and joy-eliciting music that has swept the globe. That fan scene is the subject of a new micro-documentary by four filmmakers in Sisler High School's Create program.

Meet some of the city's most avowed fans of the pop music that's swept the globe

Winnipeg K-pop fans celebrate music, friendships and cup sleeves

8 months ago
Duration 3:39
Winnipeg fans of Korean pop bands K-pop gather together to celebrate their favorite music, the artists and the friendships, over bubble tea and collectibles.

Inside The Alley, a southwest Winnipeg bubble tea caf, a group of mostly young women are celebrating TaeJin.

For the uninitiated, TaeJinis amashup of the names Kim Taehyung and Kim Seok-Jin, both members of the superstarK-pop boy band BTS. They both happen to share birthdays in the same monthhence the celebration.

The recent Winnipeg party includedselfies, stickers, specially designed cup sleeves,music, and some major bonding with new friends over a common thread: their shared loveof BTS and K-pop in general.

"We're bringing together two things that I really like bubble tea andBTS. So why wouldn't I be here?" said LaniKotyrba, one of a couple dozen fans who flooded the cafon a recent weekend to celebrate all things Korean pop music.

A woman with long pink hair, dressed in black, sits beside four other women, also dressed in black, and smiling broadly for the camera.
Leeza Duong, third from left, poses for photos with other K-pop fans at a meetup celebrating TaeJin Kim Taehyung and Kim Seok-Jin, both members of the superstar K-pop band BTS. (Laura Marie Carandang)

Winnipeg's K-pop fan scene is growing, said Leeza Duong, organizer of the TaeJin party. She hosts several events a year bringingfans together.

Winnipeg's K-pop fan sceneis the subjectof a new micro-documentary by LauraMarie Carandang,19, and three of her 18-year-old classmates in the Create program at Sisler High School in Winnipeg.

Jassey Bombita Galatierra,Cyrhyl ZamoraandChaira Plagaalso worked with Carandang on the project.

Sisler Createis a post-high school program thattrains students in the creative digital arts, including filmmaking.

The short documentary was produced as part of CBC Manitoba's Project POV: Sisler Create, an ongoing video storytelling collaboration.

Meet the filmmakers

Black and white portrait of a young woman with long, straight dark hair. She has round glasses and is wearing a black tank top underneath a light-coloured button down shirt. She is wearing light-coloured pants and bracelets around her right wrist.
Laura Marie Carandang (CinemaRolls Studios)

Laura Marie Carandang is sociable and hard-working. She loves filmmaking and editing. She has been editing videos since 2016 as a hobby. Laura enjoys going out, dancingand playing video games in her free time.

Black and white portrait of young woman with long, straight dark hair and round glasses. She is wearing a V-neck top and jeans and sits on a stool. Her legs are crossed and she has her hands crossed on her knee.
Chaira Plaga (CinemaRolls Studios)

Chaira Plaga is a Sisler High School graduate with a background in motion and graphic design. Taking visual effectsin the last year sparked herinterest in cinematography.

Now, Plaga wants to discover her potential in film production. She is happy to be part of Sisler'spost-high school filmcohort this year, and is excited to discover her other talents. In her free time, she likes cleaning, listening to music, and expanding her photography skills.

Black and White portrait of young woman with long dark hair with lighter streaks. She sits on a stool and is wearing a light-coloured tank top underneath a button-down, collared top. She wears dark cargo pants and has her hands clasped on her lap.
Cyrhyl Zamora (CinemaRolls Studios)

Cyrhyl Zamora has always had a passion for creation. She loves painting, sculpting, writing and photography.

After being introduced to filmmaking in high school, she discovered a new passion. She uses her comfort with cameras and photography to capture her vision. She wants to continue to perfect her skills in filmmaking and storytelling to elevate the quality of her work.

Black and white portrait of a young women with long, straight dark hair with lighter strands. She is wearing a white, cable knit sweater and dark pants. Her right hand is reaching up to push her hair behind her ear.
Jassey Bombita Galatierra (CinemaRolls Studios)

Jassey Bombita Galatierra is a St. John's High School graduate and joined Sisler Create to pursue her love of filmmaking, photography and editing. In her free time, sheenjoys listening to music, watching Korean TV shows, dancing and playing games.

More about Project POV: Sisler Create

CBC Manitoba's Project POV: SislerCreate is a storytelling collaboration that partners filmmaking students with CBCManitoba journalists to produce short docs. The collaboration is in its second year. You can see past projectshere.

The Winnipeg School Division's Createprogram is hosted at Sisler High School and trains post-high students in the creative digital arts.

During fall 2023, CBC journalists taught storytelling to filmmaking studentsand led producing workshopsat theCreate program at Sisler High School.

The post-high school programfocuseson education and career pathways into the creative industries. Students can take courses in animation, film, game design, visual effects, graphic design and interactive digital media.