The year 1965 saw America start bombing North Vietnam and India and Pakistan go to war. It was also the time when the girls in a failing coal mining town discovered hula dancing and had their lives changed forever.
Hula Girls, a heartfelt comedy, is about the transformation of the Joban coal mine - then the largest coal mine in Japan - into a Hawaiian-style resort.
By focusing on the hopes and dreams of individuals, the film paints a picture of ordinary people striving for a better future.
The protagonist is Kimiko (Yu Aoi), a schoolgirl whose brother (Etsushi Toyokawa) is a coal miner. Persuaded by her best friend Sanae (Eri Tokunaga), she joins the hula dancing team in an attempt to escape her bleak future as an ore worker, a fate that befell her mother Chiyo (Sumiko Fuji) and generations of women in the town.
Under the instructions of Hirayama (Yasuko Matsuyuki), a dancer from Tokyo, the girls master the art of hula dancing, establish a reputation across the country and revive their ailing town.
Director Lee Sang-il proves himself a first-rate director, extracting compelling performances from Aoi, Matsuyuki and Fuji while telling a coming-of-age story that will touch the hearts of all.