Name: Hydration
Director: Mimi Valdés
Genre: Documentary, Music
Released: 2020-04-15
Duration: 79 min
Cast: Pharrell Williams, Tyler, The Creator, Anderson .Paak, Sean Combs, J Balvin

Virginia Beach's prodigal son throws a festival so good the city had to apologize.

Hometown Hero EnergyStar-Studded ChaosCommunity Redemption

Overview

Documentary Music

Taking audiences backstage and behind the scenes of Pharrell's ground-breaking Something in the Water festival, using music to bring together his divided hometown of Virginia Beach.

Content warning

Art as activismHometown reconciliationBlack excellenceGenerational healing

Standout Aspects

Direction

Mimi Valdés captures intimacy between megastars like old friends.

Production

Festival logistics porn—how do you book THIS many legends?!

Sound

The mix hits: Tyler's chaos, Anderson's silk, Missy's eternal bounce.

Best for:Streaming·Solo·Friends

Director

Mimi Valdés

ReleasedApr 15, 2020

Runtime1h 19m

StatusReleased

Vibe

Pacefast

Intensitymedium

Tonelight

Feelmedium

Top Cast

Pharrell Williams

Self

Tyler, The Creator

Self

Anderson .Paak

Self

Sean Combs

Self

J Balvin

Self

Missy Elliott

Self

A$AP Ferg

Self

Jay-Z

Self

Gwen Stefani

Self

SZA

Self

Pusha T

Self

Timbaland

Self

Ask about Hydration

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Deep Dive

Trivia, insights & behind the scenes

Trivia

The 2019 festival was so chaotic-successful that Virginia Beach initially denied permits for 2020, leading to Pharrell's public breakup with the city.

Cultural

This is essentially a thesis on how Black artists reclaim spaces that historically excluded them—turning a beach town's segregation legacy into communal joy.