Yuli

Name: Yuli
Genre: Drama
Released: 2018-12-14
Duration: 1 h 55 min
Rating: 7
Cast: Santiago Alfonso, Carlos Acosta, Keyvin Martínez, Edison Manuel Olbera, Laura de la Uz

2018·Movie·15·115 min·★ 7.0(98)

Drama More Spanish titles

Yuli is the nickname given to Carlos Acosta by his father, Pedro, who considers him the son of Ogun, an African god and a fighter. As a child Yuli avoids discipline and education, learning from the streets of an impoverished and abandoned Havana. His father, however, has other ideas, and knowing that his son has a natural talent for dance, sends him to the National Ballet School of Cuba. Despite his repeated escapes and initial poor behaviour, the boy is inevitably drawn to the world of dance, and begins to shape his legendary career from a young age, becoming the first black dancer to be cast in some of the most prestigious ballet roles, originally written for white dancers, in companies such as the Houston Ballet or the Royal Ballet in London.

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Where to watch Yuli in United States

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Click a service to open Yuli there. Availability last verified on June 20, 2026.

Where is Yuli streaming around the world?

Country	Streaming on	Rent / Buy
United States	Kanopy	Google Play Movies, YouTube, Fandango At Home
United Kingdom	—	Apple TV Store, Rakuten TV, Amazon Video
Australia	Beamafilm	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, YouTube
Germany	Neue Visionen Plus Amazon Channel	Apple TV Store, Amazon Video, Google Play Movies
France	Molotov TV	Apple TV Store, Google Play Movies, Canal VOD
Spain	Lionsgate+ Amazon Channels	Rakuten TV, Amazon Video

About Yuli

Yuli is a 2018 Spanish-language drama film directed by Icíar Bollaín. The cast is led by Santiago Alfonso, Carlos Acosta, Keyvin Martínez. It has a runtime of 1h 55m. Viewers rate it 7.0/10 across 100 ratings. In United States, it is currently streaming on Kanopy.

Yuli was produced by Morena Films, Potboiler Productions, and Producciones de la 5ª Avenida and made in Germany and Cuba. It was released on December 14, 2018, and carries a 15 certification.

Director: Icíar Bollaín
Writers: Paul Laverty
Release date: December 14, 2018
Original language: Spanish
Age rating: 15
Status: Released
Country: Germany, Cuba
Production: Morena Films, Potboiler Productions, Producciones de la 5ª Avenida

#biography#based on true story

Yuli cast & crew

Yuli was directed by Icíar Bollaín and written by Paul Laverty.

The cast features Santiago Alfonso as Pedro, Carlos Acosta as Carlos Acosta (Actual), Keyvin Martínez as Carlos Acosta (Joven), Edison Manuel Olbera as Carlos Acosta (1983), Laura de la Uz as Maestra Chery, and Yerlín Pérez López as María.

Behind the camera, the score was composed by Alberto Iglesias and cinematography is by Álex Catalán.

Is Yuli worth watching?

Yuli holds an audience score of 7.0/10 from 98 ratings, a solidly received drama films.

At 1h 55m, it's a standard feature-length watch.

If you enjoy drama, Yuli is worth a place on your watchlist.

How and where to watch Yuli

In United States, you can stream Yuli on Kanopy, or rent and buy it on Google Play Movies, YouTube, and Fandango At Home. Click any service above to open it directly.

Streaming rights change country by country and month by month, so the options above reflect United States today — switch your country at the top of the where-to-watch section to see availability elsewhere.