Yuli

Yuli (2018) is a biographical drama about Cuban ballet star Carlos Acosta that you can watch online on iFILM. A boy from one of Havana's poorest blocks is pushed into ballet school by a father he'd much rather defy.

Yuli is the nickname Pedro, a truck driver, gives his son, certain the kid carries the spirit of an African warrior god. The film moves restlessly through time — a street childhood, skipped lessons, the Swiss competition that changed everything, and a grown Acosta playing himself on a stage that restages his own life. Director Icíar Bollaín shapes the whole thing like a dance built out of memory.

Acosta became the first Black dancer cast in lead roles at the Houston Ballet and London's Royal Ballet, parts originally written for white performers. Bollaín refuses the tidy rags-to-riches arc; what it costs his family, and him, matters more than the applause. A rewarding watch if you love stories about the body, discipline and where you come from. Stream Yuli (2018) online on iFILM.