The ninth European Film Festival in Cuba, which for the first time expands its venues outside Havana, continues today on the bill with multiple film offerings, among them Yuli, inspired by the renowned dancer Carlos Acosta.

Directed by Icíar Bollaín, the 2018 film reflects the life of the also Cuban choreographer, honored in his homeland and abroad for his extraordinary talent on stage and for his ability to bring together — through art — several generations of performers.

The production was filmed on location in Havana, London and Madrid, and unfolds in a contemporary setting where the protagonist returns to the Cuban capital to stage a choreography about his life.

"Reliving my past, acting it out and dancing it during the shoot was an intense and painful experience," Acosta confessed on one occasion.

No Way Home, the book he wrote in 2007 and in which he describes the ups and downs he experienced throughout his career, served as inspiration for filmmaker Paul Laverty to write the script for Yuli, his childhood nickname.

Those feet that, so as not to be lost, touched the stage floor earned Carlos Acosta the greatest achievements in a profession he makes his own and carries to the world with the soul of Cuba.

Thanks to his father, he took his first steps — almost by obligation — in an expression that soon became an inseparable companion and accomplice of his more than deserved triumphs in the world of dance.

In addition to Yuli, the festival program includes the Hungarian film Sin aire, in charge of opening the showcase; Pavo real, by Austrian Bernhard Wenger; and the musical comedy ¡Gloria!, by Italian Margherita Vicario, among others.

The event runs until next November 15 and brings together 18 representative titles from 16 European countries.

As its main novelty, the event is present in the provinces of Villa Clara, Sancti Spíritus, Camagüey, Holguín, Las Tunas and Granma.

Another of the attractions is reaching alternative cultural spaces in this city, among them La Tizza Films, El Proyecto and Estudio 50, an initiative committed to expanding the settings for encountering cinema and its stories.

The festival is part of the Month of Europe (from October 22 to November 22) and is organized by the Delegation of the European Union in Cuba, together with the member states, the Cuban Cinematheque and the Cuban Institute of Art and Film Industry (Icaic).