The mini documentary and music video shoot for Handpan X’s Story Series Episode 3, the fairy-tale “Milky Way Project,” hosted by Ha Taek-hu, the representative artist of Samatdi and sponsored by the Seoul Foundation of Arts and Culture, was successfully wrapped up over two days from July 4 to 5 at the Sol Forest in Yangyang, Gangwon-do, at “Parang Stay.”
Carried out under the planning intention of “Dawn stars into the Milky Way! The joy and comfort gained through playing together,” the project drew around 40 participants on a large scale under Ha Taek-hu artist’s lead, adding brightness to the event. In particular, for this shoot, the participating performers reportedly gathered at “Domoyoga” near Seoul Samjeon Station every Friday starting in June and continued intensive practice for a high-quality performance.
Spotlight on collaborations with various wellness and art brands
In particular, the filming site was captured as a fairy-tale-like, sensorial space through collaborations with well-known domestic wellness and art brands, drawing attention. The “Sol Forest” provided by “Parang Stay” and the premium space directing brand “Bean Collector” handled an imaginative space design blending naturally with Yangyang’s Sol Forest scenery, while adding an exotic rug and sharon provided by the wellness lifestyle brand “AIYA” amplified the mysterious atmosphere.
In addition, body art painting with “tribal markers,” inspired by 부족 art, was applied to the performers’ bodies, adding artistic depth. Finely drawn patterns made with special pens that are harmless to the human body offered performers a special experience that deeply connected them with their inner souls, raising the visual completeness of the music video.
Harmony among performers gathered from across the country stands out
On the day of the shoot, the enthusiasm of the participants shone even through an exhausting stretch of nearly 10 hours. In addition to Ha Taek-hu artist and Golbang Brothers and the Dokkebi Team, who have worked in close rhythm for a long time, about 40 handpan performers and session and performer team members gathered from all over the country, including Gurye, Gokseong, Busan, Ilsan, Paju, Cheonan, Dongtan, and Osan. They transcended their individual jobs and localities and staged a deep, moving moment in which they became one through the mysterious melodies of the handpan.
For the music video shoot that day, three members—TJ, Ella, and A-young, the Acromove Yoga team—formed a fantastic performance team, and Yeonjeong, an artist who majored in Korean dance, broadened the work’s artistic spectrum by expressing Korea’s strong women through dance to “Jo Wang.” During the long shoot, well-being catering prepared with care to fill the participants’ exhausted bodies and minds received high praise from everyone.
On the next day, July 5, when the main filming wrapped up, a variety of cultural and healing programs followed for the participants. A participatory tea meditation program led by Kim So-hyeon, CEO of “Sohyeoncha Culture House,” and a healing yoga class led by instructor Sebin were held to warm the participants’ minds and bodies. After that, some participants joined a surfing class at Yangyang Dongho Beach, bringing the long journey schedule to an energetic and fulfilling close.
The finished version of this project is expected to be unveiled abruptly through various official social media channels, including Samatdi’s YouTube and Instagram, sometime in November after the Seoul Foundation of Arts and Culture conducts a final review.
Park Mi-ran, a lecturer who participated in the event, said, “The time we played in sync for 10 hours in the beautiful Sol Forest of Yangyang, together with the precious performers gathered from across the country, Ha Taek-hu artist and Golbang Brothers, the Dokkebi team, and also the PDs who worked hard alongside us, was an enormous experience and a deep emotion I will never forget for the rest of my life.”
