Katseye will have ‘deep bond, friendship and sisterhood no matter what happens’

By Pierra Willix, Press Association Senior Entertainment Reporter

Katseye will have a “deep bond and friendship no matter what happens”, according to the director of a documentary about the group.

Formed in 2023 on the reality series Dream Academy, the band’s original line-up included Daniela Avanzini, Lara Raj, Manon Bannerman, Megan Skiendiel, Sophia Laforteza and Yoonchae Jeung.

However, earlier this year the group announced Bannerman would be taking a “temporary hiatus” to “focus on her health and wellbeing”, while last week Laforteza issued a similar statement after revealing she was also taking a step back.

Her decision comes just days before the premiere of the new documentary film Katseye: Wild Hearts, which was directed by Nadia Hallgren.

Speaking to the Press Association, Hallgren – an Emmy-nominated director who worked on Netflix’s Michelle Obama film Becoming and documentary series Victoria Beckham – addressed the changes in the line-up and how it had not affected the group members’ friendship.

She said: “I mean, the members are so close, and they have a deep bond and a deep friendship and a deep sisterhood.

“You know, I think no matter what happens, they will have that forever. And I think that that is part of who they are.”

Hallgren previously directed the Netflix docuseries Pop Star Academy: Katseye, which recounted the audition process, intensive training, and formation of the group.

She said that after spending two years with the girls previously, she had been “deeply invested” watching their success skyrocket.

Her new documentary has been teased as a “captivating journey into the group’s bold new era while celebrating the fans who helped make it possible”.

The film also explores the stamina and repetitive training the group undertakes, with Hallgren saying the “level of skill and determination it takes to perform the way they do is impressive”.

She said: “It’s so hard, both mentally and physically, and is so consuming too. But I’m really interested in high performers, people who have the mental and physical ability to perform at the highest levels, which they are.

“The stamina it takes to perform on stage, dancing and singing at the same time… I would equate it to elite athletes. They’re elite performers for sure.”

Although Hallgren was not able to follow the band for the entirety of filming, she said her latest project allowed her to sit one-on-one with them for hours and “catch up and see what life is like now”.

“It really felt like catching up with an old friend that I hadn’t seen in a while,” she said.

“There was just this level of friendship and understanding of each other because we had worked together for so many years.”

She went on to describe the documentary as presenting the “highs and lows” of the group, including them “raw and stripped down”.

“There’s an intimacy in this film. There’s no big lights and stages and performances or anything. This is talking one-on-one, having real conversations about real things, and they were incredibly open, incredibly vulnerable, and giving of themselves in this film, and I’m really grateful for that,” she added.

One of the vulnerabilities she witnessed included seeing the impact of social media on the group’s members.

The director said: “I have a tremendous amount of compassion for them. They are young woman and are human, so I think anyone dealing with that level of negativity is hard.

“They’re good people. They’re great girls. They’re kind. They’re generous. They’re sweet. They’re loving. They’re fun. They’re friendly. It’s like they haven’t done anything to hurt anyone, you know. So it’s just like, wow, this is intense.

“I’ve worked with women like Michelle Obama and Victoria Beckham, who are in the public eye and deal with scrutiny and facing people thinking they know who you are when you’re famous, or they think that that’s an open door to say mean and hurtful things, and you know that’s not any different from Katseye.

“These are women who are trying their very best every single day and also happen to be really good at what they do, and people are interested in them. But that isn’t a pass for people to be cruel.”

In the three years since they were formed, Katseye have had songs in the top 40 of the Billboard Hot 100, and earned Grammy nominations for best pop duo/ group performance and best new artist.

As Hallgren said, the group’s success so far has surprised even them.

She said: “It definitely has exceeded their expectations. I don’t think they had any idea what was coming. I don’t know how many other groups have been so successful in such a short amount of time as Katseye and have built a fan base, and have connected with fans the way that they have.”

Katseye: Wild Hearts is released in cinemas on August 12.

Katseye’s third EP Wild will also be released on August 14, with the band’s worldwide tour kicking off on September 1. They will play in London on September 3.