Hula Girls - Lighthearted drama

Nineteen sixty-five. A time of transition, revolution and change. The elders of a sleepy mining town in northern Japan see no other way of life than toiling in the coal mines, the main source of prosperity for their sleepy lives. The younger generation is itching for what’s beyond the dirt and dust, especially with the news of massive layoffs at the mines. The only hope to save the town is to attract tourists through a gimmicky upstart Hawaiian cultural center and resort, despite the overwhelming skepticism toward the idea of building a tropical paradise in the middle of snowy mountains. Tensions ensue as the traditionalist miners are convinced that a tourist center would steal jobs, not create them.
Enter Madoka Hirayama (Yasuko Matsuyuki), a down-and-out big city dancer with a penchant for hula, who reluctantly accepts the task of training the daughters of the local miners as the center’s main attraction. High school students Kimiko (Yu Aoi) and Sanae (Eri Tokunaga) energetically volunteer and quickly excel in the art of hula despite the fact that they must keep their dancing a secret from their strict, mine-supporting parents. As the amateur hula troupe attracts more members and the two strong-willed girls excel, will they be able to save the town and the livelihoods of those they love?
Hula Girls is based on the true story of the Joban Coal Mine community and the birth of the Joban Hawaiian Center (now known as Spa Resort Hawaiians). This heartwarming, engaging story is a great family flick. It’s no wonder this movie won the Japan Film Award (the Japanese equivalent of the Academy Awards) for Best Picture!