LISA Opens Up About Life Beyond BLACKPINK as Always Lalisa Premieres at TIFF

The BLACKPINK star’s first feature documentary follows a pivotal year of solo music, acting and independence before heading to IMAX and cinemas worldwide on October 12.

For most of LISA’s career, fans have watched her from the outside.

Always Lalisa is trying to change that.

The BLACKPINK member brought her first feature documentary to the Toronto International Film Festival on September 11, where the film held its world premiere as part of TIFF’s Gala program at Roy Thomson Hall. The premiere drew a huge fan response in Toronto and offered one of the closest looks yet at the year LISA began building an identity outside the group that made her a global star.

Directed by Sue Kim, Always Lalisa follows LISA during a transitional period between 2024 and 2025, when she stepped away from BLACKPINK group activities and began exploring just how far she wanted to push her solo career.

That year became pretty busy.

The documentary covers the creation of her debut solo album Alter Ego, her acting debut in HBO’s The White Lotus, the development of her company LLOUD, and the preparation behind her solo performance at Coachella.

But the film appears to be less interested in simply checking off career achievements.

Speaking with Reuters following the TIFF premiere, LISA described the period as one where she kept searching for what else she wanted to do. Director Sue Kim said the project gave her an opportunity to show a version of LISA beyond the carefully controlled image audiences normally see through the K-pop industry.

That could be what makes Always Lalisa especially interesting for longtime fans.

There are already plenty of ways to watch LISA perform. Between BLACKPINK tours, solo releases, festival appearances and years of music videos, the polished performer is familiar.

The person figuring out what happens when all of that structure disappears is much less familiar.

According to Sony Music Vision, the documentary follows LISA through the pressure of launching a solo career while pursuing acting and building a business, all while still trying to maintain some kind of personal life outside the spotlight.

There is also something significant about where the film premiered.

Rather than debuting strictly through a streaming platform or a fan event, Always Lalisa received a Gala presentation at TIFF, one of the largest international film festivals in North America. TIFF’s official description frames the project as an intimate look at LISA’s transformation from a childhood dreamer in Thailand into one of the world’s most recognizable performers.

The Toronto premiere is only the beginning.

Always Lalisa will open in IMAX and cinemas worldwide beginning October 12 through Trafalgar Releasing. After its theatrical run, the documentary is scheduled to stream globally on YouTube Premium later in 2026, although an exact streaming date has not yet been announced.

The wider release should also give fans outside Canada their first opportunity to see what Sue Kim captured during one of the biggest transition periods of LISA’s career.

That timing feels appropriate.

LISA is no longer simply testing whether she can exist outside BLACKPINK. Over the past few years, she has released solo music, performed at Coachella, moved into acting and established LLOUD while continuing to return to BLACKPINK.

Always Lalisa documents the part before all of those decisions looked inevitable.

And for fans who have watched LISA since the beginning, seeing the uncertainty behind that evolution might end up being more interesting than another highlight reel.

Always Lalisa opens in IMAX and cinemas worldwide on October 12, 2026.