“Why not take the most impactful lines” — Right Place, Wrong Person director shares why Namjoon & Team RM decided to add chatter in the documentary

The RM: Right People, Wrong Place documentary, directed by Lee Seokjun and Subin Im, gave fans an intimate look at BTS’ Kim Namjoon, aka RM. In an interview with Weverse Magazine on December 16, 2024, Lee Seokjun shared how the creative process focused on incorporating candid conversations into the film’s final narrative.

He said the decision to include chatter—unscripted dialogue and reflective moments—was intentional. He aimed to weave together memorable conversations and scenes into a collage-like narrative that would capture the essence of the project and RM’s personal journey. By curating these "impactful lines," the team created RM: Right People, Wrong Place.

Director Lee Seokjun noted that while a vast amount of footage was filmed during production, he asked himself,

"So I thought, rather than that, why not take the most impactful lines and memorable conversations from all that and stitch them all together into a collage, and build a story out of that?"

He continued that he wanted to create similar "universes" and compared RM: Right People, Wrong Place documentary with Daniel Scheinert, Daniel Kwan's Oscar-winning film, Everything Everywhere All at Once.

"When we were filming in Bisugumi in Hwacheon County, for instance, somebody would say something, then I’d dream up what piece of dialog or location that could connect to next. To compare it with the movie Everything Everywhere All at Once, I was thinking about what kind of universes were available to us."

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BTS' Namjoon' documentary film chronicles his journey of finding himself beyond his global stardom

Several pivotal scenes in the documentary were filmed in the remote town of Bisugumi in Hwacheon County. Director Lee Seokjun recalled how the BTS leader wanted to be "completely surrounded by nature."

"When I first met Namjoon, he said, “Sure, I chose this life for myself, but now it’s hard for me to experience just blending in no matter where I go. I want to find a place completely surrounded by nature where I can try focusing on myself completely.”"

Lee Seokjun said the setting was accidental, as Namjoon wanted to visit a peaceful, isolated place to work on his creative process. He added that Bisugumi's quiet landscape was the perfect backdrop for Namjoon to focus on his thoughts and artistry. This was also reflected in both the documentary and his upcoming album.

"We thought it’d be a great experience for him to try going somewhere no one could ever recognize him, so we ended up going to Bisugumi. It’s a remote place with absolutely nothing but nature in every direction, so it was a way to focus entirely on the moment in a way that was almost meditative," the director said.

Director Lee Seokjun further emphasized that finding the “right tone” for the interviews shown in the documentary was equally crucial. Many of those featured—Namjoon's collaborators and Team RM—were deeply involved in the Right People, Wrong Place project, both creatively and personally. This connection, he said, added an extra layer of authenticity and emotional depth to the film.

RM: Right People, Wrong Place premiered at the Busan International Film Festival (BIFF) on October 7, 2024. It was filmed in South Korea, London, and Tokyo in eight months. Produced by CJ 4DPLEX and HYBE, the film was later released in global theaters on December 5, 2024.

In conjunction with the documentary, Namjoon released his second solo album, Right People, Wrong Place, on May 24, 2024. The album shares its name with the film as the documentary serves as an extension of RM’s reflections during this period.

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BTS' Kim Namjoon has been serving in the South Korean military since December 11, 2023. He will be discharged on June 9, 2025.