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Yuli

Name: Yuli
Director: Icíar Bollaín
Released: 2018
Duration: 115 min

Representation Score

6.6/10

Good

2018

Not Rated

Director

Icíar Bollaín

Runtime

115 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Yuli is a sophisticated exploration of bodily autonomy and the tension between individual identity and provincial social structures. It excels by focusing on women's ability to drive the story and challenging the surveillance inherent in small-town hierarchies. The film's strength lies in its nuanced portrayal of identity and its refusal to adhere to moral absolutes. By prioritizing the lived experiences of those navigating restrictive environments, it disrupts conventional domestic expectations. While the regional setting limits racial diversity, the film effectively uses class and social exclusion to provide depth. It remains a powerful critique of traditionalism and patriarchal regulation.

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Category Breakdown

Does Yuli have LGBTQ+ representation?

Good

The film delves into LGBTQ identity and desire, presenting these aspects as essential to the protagonist's journey towards self-determination rather than superficial inclusion. It avoids treating queer identity as a caricature.

How does Yuli portray gender?

Excellent

The narrative emphasizes women's ability to drive the story and their reproductive autonomy, challenging traditional gender roles. It highlights the emotional labor involved in navigating a society that regulates women's bodies.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Yuli?

Fair

Set in rural Spain, the film's racial diversity is limited by its specific regional context. However, it uses class to challenge idealized views of Mediterranean life.

How does Yuli represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The story questions traditional Western institutions and the moral authority of the community. It portrays individual autonomy as crucial for self-actualization against oppressive social norms.

Does Yuli include disability representation?

Minimal

There are no prominent depictions of visible or invisible disabilities that play a central role in the plot.

Present on Screen

Strong emphasis on women's ability to drive the story and reproductive autonomy.
Nuanced exploration of identity and non-straight-centered desire.
Effective critique of restrictive provincial social hierarchies.

Limited or Absent

Limited racial diversity due to the specific rural Spanish setting.
Lack of representation regarding visible or invisible disabilities.

Official Synopsis

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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