TOKYO HULA

PAY WHAT YOU CAN

This film is only available to viewers in Southern California (excluding San Diego County) from October 22, 2020 at 12pm PT to October 25, 2020 at 11:59pm PT. Click here to watch the film on Eventive.

Today it is estimated there are nearly 2 million people dancing hula in Japan—a figure greater than the entire population of Hawaiʻi. With more people dancing hula in Japan than in Hawaiʻi where the native art was born, this explosive growth has created a multimillion dollar industry based on culture as commodity. But what motivates Japanese students and teachers to dance hula and how is it translated into a foreign culture? How do Native Hawaiians participate in this cross-cultural exchange?  TOKYO HULA illuminates how the hula has become both big business as well as an evolving global tradition that continues to flourish in Japan. — Anderson Le

CREDITS:
Director, Producer: Lisette Marie Flanary
Associate Producer: Hatsumi Asaka
Executive Producer: Pacific Islanders In Communications Leanne Ferrer
Director of Photography: Brian Wilcox
Location Sound: John Mcfadden
Editor: Kyung Lee

Watch the artist conversation featuring the filmmaker and special guests below, as we discuss their creative journey behind making the film.