Pacific Heartbeat

Na Kamalei: The Men of Hula

By Lisette Marie Flanary

The role of male hula dancers has long been overshadowed by Western concepts of gender and sexuality. NA KAMALEI follows a group of male dancers, who range in age from 18 to 55 years old, as they prepare to compete in the largest hula competition in the world, the Merrie Monarch Hula Festival. Through the lens of dance, this film explores the meaning of Hawaiian pride and the role of men in Hawaiian culture.