01x05 - Episode 5

[bunniefuu]

WE ASKED MUSICIANS FROM DIFFERENT GENRES

WHAT IF

YOU HAD ONLY ONE CHANCE TO PRESENT
A PERFECT PERFORMANCE BEFORE YOU DIED?

THERE'S JUST ONE CONDITION

DO IT IN ONE TAKE

Lena Park!

THE BEGINNING

PRESENT DAY

Let's get you in!

What if you could sing
just one song before you died?

Just one song?

I was afraid of the stage.

It could be
my only moment in the spotlight.

-If this doesn't work, we're screwed.
-Right.

It's a concert
where you only get one take.

There are a lot of things
that don't make any sense.

It's a chance to challenge myself.

Can I create the effect I want
in a place like this?

I just want this performance
to scream MAMAMOO.

There will be 200 dancers.

This wouldn't be possible without Netflix.

To be on a stage like this before I die,
at the end of my life...

It's the time remaining until Take 1.

Is this like a time b*mb?

Could you please open
the bandmaster's operator mike?

Then we'll do the rest of the sound check.

LENA PARK HAS BEEN A SINGER
FOR 24 YEARS

NICKNAMES SHE'S GOTTEN
THROUGHOUT THE 24 YEARS

SOUTH KOREA'S TOP DIVA

R&B FAIRY

THE QUEEN OF BUSKING

ALL THESE NICKNAMES WERE GIVEN TO HER

BECAUSE OF ONE SINGLE FACTOR

I have to go back...

HER UNRIVALED SINGING SKILLS

There's no easy way

So I take a detour

To avoid all those memories...

WHAT IF SHE COULD SING

You have to choose one song
for one performance.

JUST ONE SONG BEFORE SHE DIED??

That's hard.

What makes it hard?

When you have so many options,
it's difficult to select just one.

Most importantly,
it should mean something to me.

It could be a song I've never sung,

or a song that I wanted to master
but failed to do so.

It's hard to believe
that there is a song you cannot master.

One of the hardest songs is "In Dreams."

KNOWN TO BE
THE HARDEST LENA PARK SONG TO SING

Keep on holding me...

"IN DREAMS"

Like you did in the past

Although "In Dreams" is
still challenging for me to sing,

I've gotten used to that song.

But there's one song
I'm quite attached to.

THERE'S A SONG HARDER THAN "IN DREAMS"

I've never succeeded
in singing this song properly

from start to finish.

When I sang this song at my concert,
I found it so difficult to sing

that I just handed it off
to the backup singers to carry on.

Since then,
I've never tried to sing it again.

The song also captures
the story of my life.

A SONG THAT CAPTURES HER LIFE STORY?

Now, let me introduce a new female singer.

IN 1996

She won awards at the Downey Way
Outer Broadway Talent Contest

for both singing and acting.

She's visited her home country
to show her talent.

Please give Lena Park
a big round of applause.

20-YEAR-OLD LENA'S
FIRST PERFORMANCE IN KOREA

Hello!

My name is Lena.

This is my first performance on TV.

I'll do my best,
and I would appreciate your support.

SHE STARTED HER LIFE IN KOREA
WITH A STRONG AMBITION

I came to Korea with a dream
of being a musician.

I believed that I could be happy
if I just kept following that dream.

But my debut got delayed
as I had trouble with my first agency.

HER DEBUT FELL APART

I was so lonely,
as if I was all alone in the world.

SHE FACED A HARSH REALITY
AFTER MOVING TO HER MOTHERLAND

I flew to Korea free-spirited,

but I often felt like I was stuck.

I thought I was stuck here.

HER LIFE STORY IS TOLD IN THIS SONG

That's why this song means a lot to me,

and I'd like to sing it to people
more than any other song.

That song is "Song For Me."

"SONG FOR ME"
FROM HER 8TH ALBUM

WRITTEN AND COMPOSED BY JEONG SEOK-WON

I got on a bus

Will I have a future?

Nothing is going right

They say dreams come true

They say you get what you strive for

I seem so far from it...

If I have to choose one song to sing,

this song is the only answer.

I just want to sing this song
as best as I can.

It's literally the "Song For Me."
It's a chance to challenge myself.

"SONG FOR ME"
LENA PARK'S TAKE 1 SONG

Where would you like to perform?

THE VENUE FOR "SONG FOR ME"?

One thing is clear.

It has to be somewhere
I haven't performed before.

Somewhere new.

FROM A QUAINT LOCAL RESTAURANT

I've been lucky enough to perform
the way I wanted at the places I wanted.

TO A SQUARE
IN FRONT OF A GRAND PERFORMANCE ARENA

SHE'S PERFORMED AT VARIOUS PLACES

After all, it should mean something to me.

So I'd like to do it at an iconic venue
that can represent South Korea.

The place I loved most in Seoul
was the Hangang area.

I found that area quite exotic
when I first saw it.

Friends hang out together near the river,

and someone plays the acoustic guitar.

There are fireworks.

People sit around with beer and snacks
they bought from a convenience store.

I absolutely loved those things.

Even after I debuted as a singer,

I often went to Hangang Park
to feel liberated.

HANGANG MEANS SOMETHING SPECIAL TO HER

-I liked it there.
-Have you ever performed on the river?

-Literally "on the river."
-I haven't.

I had my pictures taken on a boat
but never performed on one.

Is it possible to perform on a boat?

Well, I've never done a project like that.

THE RIVER, A BOAT...?

Or on a barge?

-You mean a big ship?
-Yes.

A BARGE?

It's flat on the top,
so it looks a bit like a stage.

BARGE SHIP
A FLAT-BOTTOMED FREIGHTER

USED ON CANALS, RIVERS AND AT PORTS

IT LOOKS FAR FROM BEING A STAGE

Has anyone done something like this?

-No.
-Okay.

I think it'll be very cool.

And it'll be my first time.

It'll be the ultimate busking session,
upgraded to the highest level.

DREAMING OF THE ULTIMATE BUSKING SESSION

This is huge.

Did I bite off more than I can chew?

I've never done
this kind of project before.

It got me quite confused.
I was like, "Oh, no."

THE FIRST BUSKING SESSION ON A BARGE
HOW WILL IT GO?

TIME LEFT UNTIL TAKE 1 IS

THE TAKE ONE CLOCK
THE SHOW STARTS WHEN IT HITS 000:00:00

TIME LEFT UNTIL TAKE 1

AT THE CENTER OF SEOUL, SOUTH KOREA

IS THE HANGANG RIVER

WHERE THEY WILL LOOK FOR A FLOATING STAGE

Never have I ever gone this far
for a single performance.

SHE CAME TO SEE THE BARGE

This already feels different.

-Wow, this is enormous.
-Is this just one ship?

KIM HYEON-SEO, HER AGENCY PRESIDENT
LEE YU-HYEON, BARGE BUSINESS OPERATOR

-I can see they're different in size.
-That's right.

-They all have different uses.
-I see.

This one is about 45 meters.

THIS BIG BARGE WILL BE
HER TAKE 1 STAGE

-You can even run here.
-I bet.

It's much bigger than I thought it'd be.

It's way too big.

We'll need a set large enough
to fit this ship's size.

This is ginormous.

IT'S MUCH BIGGER THAN EXPECTED

Tell me about it.

This is so much larger than I imagined

that the scale of my stage
is getting bigger and bigger.

The size is as extraordinary
as the song is.

So I started to imagine a stage
that would match the performance.

As we have this huge venue,
we might as well go big.

This song features

a huge ensemble of winds and strings

and a choir.

Shall we just get them all together

on one ship?

-You think?
-Yes, why not?

A BIGGER SHIP, A BIGGER DREAM

We can bring on the entire orchestra.

-On this?
-Sure.

I'm telling you I won't sing this song
more than once.

This could be the first and the last time
I sing this song.

-So let's make it big.
-All right.

Things are getting bigger now.

THINGS ARE GETTING BIGGER AND BIGGER

We are just in time.

VISITING THE HANGANG RIVER

It's just getting dark,
so we'll be able to see a night scene.

-Wow, it's so crowded over there!
-It's always like this.

-As if it's vacation season.
-It reminds me of a beach.

I've been imagining a stage

with a backdrop
that reminds people of Seoul

as soon as they see it.

It's going to be just one song,
which could be as short as five minutes.

WHICH PART OF SEOUL
WILL THIS SONG REPRESENT?

This might be the right time for the show.

Thanks to all these lights...

This scene right here screams,
"This is Seoul!"

-Yeah, I agree.
-Yep.

SEOUL'S NIGHT SCENE
CREATED BY THE CONCRETE JUNGLE

-This is the image of Seoul itself.
-That's right.

-This is it.
-Yes.

-Seoul!
-Yes.

You can see the night scene and the waves,

and the sky is not too dark yet.

I'd like to capture the metropolitan feel

and the glimpse of a wider world.

THE IDEAL BACKDROP
FOR A HANGANG BUSKING SESSION

YEOUIDO

Singing on a barge on Hangang

is such a brilliant idea
in and of itself.

So I should be just as brilliant
when performing this song, right?

Right.

I've buckled down to practice the song,

but it's such a hellish song to sing.

HANGANG AND A BARGE

It's not going very well.

AND THE HELLISH "SONG FOR ME"

TIME LEFT UNTIL TAKE 1

Most importantly, I'll lose my voice
if I sing this song more than once.

We only have today to rehearse.

So today we'll focus on the ensemble
as much as we can.

Let's do this, everyone.

I won't give up here

I won't give up here

Okay, thank you.

I kept feeling...

so nervous!

THIS SONG WAS HIDDEN FOR A REASON

I thought, "The more I practice,
the more I'll get used to it."

"So relax and just keep going."

But as I kept practicing,

my voice got more and more hoarse,
and it just didn't get better.

-This is Take 1.
-Right.

It has to be done in one take.

-That's why it's called Take 1.
-Really?

-Shall we start over?
-Yes.

I'm getting nervous.

I'm going to perform on stage

with cream-of-the-crop professionals.

I'll just try to have some faith
rather than worrying.

So we'll make it work
by having faith in each other.

BUT SHE NEEDS A LOT MORE THAN JUST FAITH

THINGS THAT ARE REQUIRED
FOR THIS MEGA BUSKING SESSION

-Where should we inquire?
-Hangang Project Headquarters.

You should apply for permission.

-Okay.
-And get the event authorized.

PERFORMANCE PERMISSION

This is not the shipping lane, right?

SHIPPING LANE SAFETY CHECK

-Can a ship stay here?
-Yes.

TAKE MEASUREMENTS OF THE SHIP

LENA PARK'S TAKE 1

A BARGE BUSKING SESSION
ON THE HANGANG RIVER

MAPO BRIDGE - WONHYO BRIDGE
IN-BETWEEN

THE MID-SIZED BARGE GETS ANCHORED FIRST

THE LARGE BARGE GETS ANCHORED LATER

THE TWO BARGE SHIPS
MAKE A LARGE-SCALE STAGE

THE MEGA BUSKING SESSION
WILL BE HELD ON THE HANGANG RIVER

Hi!

It's D-Day for the show.

I guess I slept okay,
but maybe not quite deeply.

I'm not sure.

The stage was being set up
on the barge over the last two days.

I visited the barge early
to check the location and other things.

SHE WANTS TO SEE THE BARGE STAGE

I can't wait to see it.
It will be so cool.

THE BARGE DOCK

I've never done this before.

Please let me know
if any team has someone absent.

-Did you check if everyone's here?
-I did.

Can we go first?

THE MID-SIZED BARGE SETS OFF FIRST

Let's place the cameras once we set sail.

We'll set off now!

We'll keep moving like this, right?

THE LARGE BARGE LEAVES
WITH THE MAIN STAGE

YANGHWA BRIDGE

THE SHIP HEADS TOWARD YEOUIDO

-Are we arriving at 2:00?
-It'll be around noon.

-Noon?
-Yes.

For the last 26 years,
I've looked at the Hangang River,

passed by it, and crossed it as well.

But I've never been actually on it
this close.

I'm trying to use
every kind of water transport

before the performance.

Is that it over there?

It is!

It's so huge!

THE BARGE IS HEADING TOWARD YEOUIDO

CLEAVING THROUGH THE EARTHY WATER

My goodness!

AT THE VERY HEART OF HANGANG

THE STAGE IS BEING SET UP

Are there three of them?

There are two barge ships.

-Two?
-Yes.

TWO BARGES ARE APPROACHING

I see. The small one is for monitoring.

Please keep it inwards.

WELL AWAY FROM THE SHIPPING LANE
OF HANGANG RIVER

Is it clear of the shipping lanes?

We need to divert the ship a little.

THE BEST SPOT FOR SEOUL'S NIGHT SCENE

-We're stopping here!
-Let's stop here!

We'll keep going this way.

THE MEGA STAGE ON WATER

FOR ONE SINGLE PERFORMANCE

I can't believe how big it is.

Oh, my God.

Now, how can people watch the show?

WHERE WILL THE AUDIENCE BE?

If the scale of the show is this big,

it's meaningless
to have the audience too close.

They need a little distance
to see the stage as a whole.

So watching the show from a tour boat
might be a good idea.

A TOUR BOAT FOR THE AUDIENCE

THE TAKE 1 STAGE
SHE HAS DREAMED OF

Did I bite off more than I can chew?

A SCALE UNSEEN
EVEN BY THE QUEEN OF BUSKING

I hope I didn't make things
too big and complicated.

So I decided to invite
as many people as possible

to match the scale of the show.

NODEULSEOM PARK

Good.

I'll go out there with Jang-han
in the morning

to put on a surprise busking performance
in Nodeulseom Park.

I'm just going to pop up
and sing "P.S. I Love You."

And then I'll invite the people there,

telling them that there will be
another performance later.

P.S. I LOVE YOU
LENA PARK

The moment I first saw you by chance

I just felt

That it was meant to be

I couldn't

Call it love first

Because of all the time that I waited

I became lonely for the first time

I'm scared

If we fall in love
And drift apart

I can't stand the idea
Of not seeing you again

Just with your smile

You captured my heart

I can't believe

That I'm with you now

I will always

Want to be with you

I hope you remember this

You are the only one for me

If you want everything from me

I can give it all to you

I promise

Just as I did the first time

I can accept it

Even when you forget me

While you live your life

I will always remember you

I'm going to sing later.

It will be a performance on the water
with the audience on a tour boat.

That's why I'm inviting people
to come and be my audience.

-Please come.
-We will!

-See you all later.
-Thank you.

Make sure you cancel your evening plans.

-Come join us.
-You can read some information here.

-I'll sing later.
-Okay.

Hello.

This is the location.

Please come to watch me sing. Bye then.

I love you

You and only you

Forever

Forever

Thank you!

THE AUDIENCE-RECRUITING
BUSKING SESSION ENDS

THE BARGE STAGE

THE ORCHESTRA MEMBERS ARRIVE

We have 50 orchestra members on this dock.

Everyone is ready.

FOR A SINGLE SONG

50 PERFORMERS GET ON THE BARGE STAGE

A FIVE-PERSON BAND

The rest of them will come
on the next ship, right?

THE STAGE GRADUALLY FILLS UP

SOUND CHECK

-The weather's really nice.
-You can never be sure.

Believe me. We'll never know.

The weather is a huge part.

It's quite risky.

-There are so many potential issues
-Right.

Yesterday...

I was exhausted
and tried to get some sleep.

Then my heart started racing.

-It was as if I had too much caffeine.
-I know what you mean.

If a problem occurs,
I'll have no control over it.

The thought that I can't control
such things made me frustrated.

THE BIGGEST VARIABLE
OF PERFORMING ON THE HANGANG RIVER

It's quite windy.

The winds were quite intense yesterday.

I have to find a way.

Outdoor environments

absorb sounds like a sponge.

I think we chose the worst venue
in that sense.

THE WORST VENUE POSSIBLE

-Someone must've mentioned this venue.
-Of course.

I did.

I came up with the idea of using a barge
and other things.

SHE SUGGESTED PERFORMING ON A BARGE

NOW THE BARGE IS WAITING FOR HER

HER FIRST STAGE ON A BARGE

-Hello!
-Hello!

-Hello.
-Hi.

Hi, everyone.

Okay, I'm ready.

Let's get it started.

Stand by and start.

THE REHEARSAL STARTS

Alone and without any plan

Please lower the in-ear click a little

until it's almost inaudible.

I guess I was being a bit pessimistic.

"The sound will be bad.
We'll have problems with the acoustics."

"We'll be missing at least
one instrument."

I just kept thinking like that.

More reverb would be better.

I mean reverb. Reverb!

THE SOUND BOTHERS HER AS EXPECTED

THE REHEARSAL ENDS

SHE DOESN'T LOOK HAPPY

I need to be able to control my feelings.

I was looking at the tour boat
in front of me

while I was in the middle of rehearsal.

As I was singing, I thought,
"Is it going to be this close?"

WHY IS SHE WORRIED ABOUT
THE TOUR BOAT BEING CLOSE?

INCHEON INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT

Here she comes.

PARK LAURENTIA
LENA PARK'S MOTHER

I've been dying to see you.

PARK WON-SIK
LENA PARK'S FATHER

Was everything okay? Did you wait long?

THE FIRST REUNION IN 4 YEARS

Thanks to Take 1,

I was able to invite my parents
from the US.

I've been living apart from them
for over 20 years.

I ended up leaving my family behind.

As I get closer to my dream in music,

I become more distant from my family.

That gave my parents such a hard time
that they even told me,

"Why don't you quit
and come back home?"

THEY ALWAYS MISS EACH OTHER

Your father starts each day
by watching your videos,

and he does that all throughout the day,

right up until he goes to bed.

Right.

LENA PARK'S UNCLE

When was this?

SINGING WITH SINCERITY

What's this? Dad, you collected these?

Yes, I clipped these
from the newspapers in the US.

-The Korean newspapers in the US?
-Yep.

HE'S HER NO. 1 FAN

This is your magazine cover picture.

-There's another one coming.
-Yeah?

Take 1 by Netflix.

It'll be Lena Park's performance
of a lifetime in one take.

Having both of my parents here
for my performance...

That has happened just a couple of times
in the last 24 years.

I'd love to show my family
how I do what I do in Korea.

I want to show it properly.

TO SHOW HER AS A SINGER

This is going to be
the performance of a lifetime.

It means a lot to me.
That's why I want to have my loved ones,

including you two,
to share that moment with me.

My parents, family members, and friends
will be there for my Take 1 performance.

And if I can see them
right in front of me while I sing,

I might end up crying.
That's what I'm nervous about.

THE AUDIENCE STARTS TO ARRIVE

THEY ARE ALL ABOARD NOW

TIME LEFT UNTIL TAKE 1

The tour boat with the audience
is on its way.

Each staff member can be on standby now.

Let's get ready, everyone.

-Shall we all stand by now?
-Yes, please.

We've got this!

THE TOUR BOAT WITH THE AUDIENCE
IS COMING IN

I want to see them.

But then I would tear up again.

I've never been this keen
on creating a stage for my performance.

This could be the only moment

that this song gets the spotlight.

THE TOUR BOAT WITH THE AUDIENCE
HAS ARRIVED

I'm putting my in-ear in.
I won't be able to hear you.

Okay, here we go.

She can come in now.

-Let's get you in.
-Thank you.

I've never succeeded
in singing this song properly.

The song also captures
the story of my life.

Today, I want to sing it perfectly
from start to finish.

THE SONG SHE WANTS TO SING PERFECTLY

I keep tearing up.

SONG FOR ME (TAKE 1 VER.)
LENA PARK

Alone and without any plan

I got on a bus

Looking mindlessly
At the people outside the window

I laugh and cry alone

Will I have a future?

Nothing's going right

They say dreams come true

They say you get what you strive for

I seem so far from it

What I need right now is

A real hope, however small it is

The courage that can help me

To lighten the burden I have

In this world

Even when I meet my friends

I can't help hiding how I feel

Once I come back to my dark, small home

I feel a different kind of loneliness

My mom calls me and asks how I am

I cry my eyes out after I hang up

They say dreams come true

They say I should keep being positive

It's not too late

Hardships become memories

No journey is without obstacles

I cannot delay it anymore

Small miracles start

With me

That dodgy alley is long and narrow

But when you turn back, you'll see

Such a brilliant world waiting for you

I won't give up here

I won't cry like a fool

I won't complain either

I will shout out to the world

How precious I am

When the time has passed
At the end of my life

I won't have regrets when I look back

There will be no regrets at all

I live

I live

Phew, I managed to hold back the tears.

I'm so glad that I did this
for my parents.

Thank you.

I'd also like to thank you

for supporting me
and helping me pull this off.

You're tearing up!

I'm in trouble.

I'm in trouble indeed.

I was a bit worried
because that song is hard to sing,

and its lyrics are rather sad.

But as I was listening to it,

I realized that it was
an excellent song choice.

For the performance of a lifetime,

I guess I chose the right song.

If anyone who listened to this song

felt inspired or encouraged,

that would be a huge reward for me.

I'm also glad that I sang this song

to the young Lena who struggled so much

to settle in Seoul
and build her musical career.

TO THE PAST ME

DEDICATED BY THE PRESENT ME