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SÃO PAULO, SP (FOLHAPRESS) – “Hawaii is here,” sang Caetano Veloso in the classic “Menino do Rio.” Sung in verse and prose, the idyllic archipelago where everything you dream of rhymes with the waves of the crystal-clear seas has crystallized in the minds of many as a destination of lush nature and a welcoming environment, where you are greeted with an “aloha” and a hibiscus necklace.
Not everything is roses, however, in the history of this tropical territory with original peoples who were dominated. Just like in Brazil and other countries that went through similar processes, a large part of pre-colonial memory was targeted for erasure.
It is part of this gap that “War Chief” tries to fill. The series, which premieres on Friday (1st) on Apple TV+, returns to the end of the 18th century to show what life was like there when the islands were independent kingdoms (and were at war with each other) and had to unite their forces against a common enemy.
On the plot, the actor Jason Momoa plays Ka’iana, a kind of royal advisor who tries to make this mobilization. For this, he leaves his community and comes into contact with various other cultures—he even visited China—becoming an involuntary ambassador.
The role seems tailor-made for the hulk who has already played the hero Aquaman and the brutal Khal Drogo from “Game of Thrones.” Born in Honolulu (the capital of what is now the American state of Hawaii), the actor uses his physical abilities and expertise in action scenes in what is one of his most personal projects to date — so much so that he co-creates, serves as executive producer, and even directed one of the episodes.
I think Ka’iana is the only character I could play,” Momoa said in an interview with F5. “There are so many beautiful Hawaiian stories and I would even like to tell others, but I just didn’t feel comfortable. I didn’t identify with it or it just didn’t seem right. When I was introduced to Ka’iana’s story, I just thought it would be a great idea.
It’s a Hawaiian who goes out to see the world and comes back after seeing everything to help unite the kingdoms because of what is coming and what is happening outside their world,” he emphasizes. “It seems perfect to spread all these other stories we wanted to tell, since we could include many things we love, as well as talk about the story of our people.
The project was developed in collaboration with screenwriter Thomas Pa’a Sibbett, also born in Hawaii, with whom he had already worked on “Danger on the Mountain” (2018), “The Last Hunt” (2022) and “Aquaman 2: The Lost Kingdom” (2023). Presenting the story from the perspective of the natives was one of the motivations of the two.
I think the weight of it didn’t hit us until after we built the story from the creative perspective and knew what we were going to say,” says Sibbett. “Now, we realize that we needed to do it and that there is a cultural impact — and that there will be a response to it.
Some decisions by the duo were bold, such as the fact that the series is almost entirely spoken in Hawaiian (a rarely spoken language, since native languages were forbidden by colonizers for many years). Moreover, they made it a point to have a cast almost entirely of Polynesian origin, from where the original people of the archipelago came.
Being realistic, I think this choice reflects the current times,” comments Sibbett. “It reflects the public’s expectations: they want something real, they want things that don’t seem fake. The public has become very perceptive. So, to move forward with this, especially as indigenous peoples, we will not be the ones arguing that we cannot use our own language. We want to ensure it is there. It is our representation.
He admits that this was only possible because both Momoa and he have reached a level in their careers where they can produce their own shows—and convince companies like Apple that it will work. “If we were at the top and couldn’t push for it, it wouldn’t happen,” he says. “We were lucky to reach a position where we can take charge and influence decisions, and this has always been one of them. We wanted to do it in the most culturally conscious way possible, and we feel very good about what we achieved.”
Among the cast’s surprises is newcomer Kaina Makua, chosen to portray King Kamehameha, the first to rule the unified kingdom of Hawaii. Without prior acting training, he was seen by Momoa on the beach, training for a Hawaiian canoe championship.
“I was invited to his house that night, and he already told me there that I would perform the Kamehameha. I said he was delirious, but here we are,” says the actor now.
As Kamehameha was not the direct heir to the throne and was not raised to rule, Makua says he managed to use part of his own inexperience and hesitation in the role. “Surely, I had to access those same feelings of doubt,” he says. “Just like him, I am a guy who will lift any weight that needs to be lifted to fulfill my responsibilities, that’s just how I am in life.”
WARRIOR LEADER
When the first two episodes are available on August 1st on Apple TV+ (then, one episode per week, always on Fridays)
18 years old
Jason Momoa, Luciane Buchanan, Kaina Makua, Moses Goods, Te Ao o Hinepehinga, Temuera Morrison and Cliff Curtis, among others.
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