The spectacular opening sequence of Chief of Battle featured a heart-stopping shark looking expedition led by conflict chief Ka’iana, performed by the epic Hawaiian historic drama’s co-creator, author, director, and star Jason Momoa. Ka’iana dove solo from his group’s crusing vessel and pursued a shark underwater, holding his breath for an nearly superhuman stretch. When he burst to the floor, clinging to the fin, his looking get together gasped with aid. The concept for together with the pursuit of the highly effective predator got here from sequence co-creator and govt producer Thomas Pa’a Sibbett.
“He confirmed me accounts of when the white man got here, seeing Hawaiians driving sharks,” Momoa instructed TV Insider. (Click on on the video for the total interview.) “Why wouldn’t they? Each different indigenous tribe is related to their animals, their totems. Man and animal have at all times been related. I really feel like earlier than anybody else got here, they have been 100% related to their atmosphere.”
The scene stood out not only for the suspense and beautiful visuals however for Ka’iana’s respect for the ocean’s royalty. After catching the shark, he took a quiet second to thank the animal.
Momoa stated he thinks the kinship between the island’s individuals and the majestic hunters ran deep.
“I’d imagine that loads of the coaching they might do too as warriors can be within the water with sharks and simply having the ability to journey them and be at peace and at one with them,” the actor instructed us.
Respectfully coexisting with the pure world is without doubt one of the stark variations between the Hawaiians and the white sailors who arrive on the islands within the sweeping sequence. As Ka’iana says in a single episode, “The pale-skin honors no gods of land.” Momoa’s warrior chief rallies to unite the dominion earlier than it’s colonized by those that see nature as one thing to be exploited relatively than revered. Click on on the video to listen to extra from Momoa, together with how his tattoos relate to the shark story and the that means behind them.
Chief of Battle premiered with two episodes on August 1 on Apple TV+ and drops new episodes each Friday.
Chief of Battle, streaming on Apple TV+