The newly released documentary, “The Boy From Medellin,” came out May 7. and it revolves around the Colombian superstar, J Balvin. This documentary was shot in 2019, and it focuses on him preparing for the most important show of his career in his hometown Medellín. Aside from preparing for his show, the documentary gives us a look into J Balvin’s life from a more vulnerable perspective. It talks about his mental health issues throughout the years and what he has done to cope with them. In addition, we see J Balvin go into detail about his life growing up in Colombia as well as the man behind the spotlight named Jose.

During the time of this documentary, there were many protests in Colombia during the week J Balvin was performing. Not only was this an unsafe time in Colombia, but it was also a hateful time for celebrities such as J Balvin. They said he was called “The Boy From Medellin,” yet he doesn’t speak out about his country’s problem. Although many people thought J Balvin didn’t care about what was happening in Colombia, this documentary proved them wrong.

In the documentary, we see J Balvin’s reaction to all the riots and protests. He didn’t speak about anything because he said his main focus is on making music, not speaking about politics. In addition, he said if he did speak out, he would get hate either way. However, after an influential conversation with Scooter Braun, J Balvin realizes the person he wants to be, someone who his people can look up to. On the day of his concert, J Balvin takes a minute of silence for those who had lost their lives in the protest.

Throughout the years, J Balvin has experienced dealing with anxiety and depression. In the film, he says the worst time of his life was his rise to fame, and before moving to the United States, J Balvin made promises back at home to start his career. When he first went to the U.S., J Balvin would live off of being a roofer and house painter. At night, he would dress up and play the role of being famous and successful. Over time, he eventually realized his career wasn’t moving; therefore, he started to feel helpless and lost.

Because he has made promises to people at home, J Blavin felt like a failure and almost embarrassed to return to his country. He says he ‘became suicidal’ and even thought about ending his life. After a phone call with his mom, J Balvin decided to come back to Colombia, and he began performing at various urban clubs in Medellín. As he started to become more famous, J Balvin talked about the anxiety he started to experience. Luckily, he discovered meditation helps him deal with both depression and anxiety. Furthermore, he explains how it helped him to maintain grounded and relaxed.

Before becoming “J Balvin,” he was Jose. He says growing up; he was too poor for the rich and rich for the poor. No matter what, J Balvin was grateful for what he had. He thanks his parents for helping him dream big and telling him he can accomplish anything. Once he hit popularity, Balvin says he lost his identity. Online he was supposedly a partier and always around girls. In real life, he’s nothing like he’s portrayed in the media. And the documentary helps us see “Jose,” J Balvin behind the scenes.

The documentary did a great job of focusing on different topics as well as finding a balance between humor and sadness. The camera work and editing were amazing too. Overall, I would rate this documentary a 9/10.