BFI Recommends: Yuli – The Carlos Acosta Story
Our latest one-to-watch is a captivating biopic of the Cuban ballet sensation Carlos Acosta, chosen by Rod Rhule.
Capturing the magic of dance, as well as the sacrifices necessary to reach the top of one of dance’s most rigorous art forms, Yuli (2018) is the captivating, honest and stirring story of Carlos Acosta. Based on Acosta’s autobiography, No Way Home: A Cuban Dancer’s Story, the film follows him growing up in 80s Cuba, becoming a dancer and eventually moving to London, where he became the Royal Ballet’s first black, principal dancer.
Avoiding the typical biopic structure, Yuli deals with two realities: the past, in which we follow Acosta’s childhood and youth; and the present, in which Acosta works with his own dance company in Cuba today, rehearsing a work that tells his life story. Featuring some exhilarating and powerful dance sequences, the film also seamlessly mixes archive footage of Acosta himself dancing, as well as sequences with actors depicting Acosta through the various stages of his life – as a young boy, teenager and finally adult.
In so doing, director Iciar Bollain avoids the pitfalls that can constrain many dance films to tell one of ballet’s greatest success stories. It’s a personal and fitting tribute to Carlos Acosta, one of the best dancers of his generation.
Rod Rhule
Film Booker