Uploaded September 2025 | Updated September 2026, 1 hour ago
Pa‘a Sibbett sits down with producer and waterman Brian Keaulana to talk story about Episode 9: The Black Desert. They reflect on reshaping the show’s arc, the weight of leadership and kuleana, and the balance of authenticity and scale—whether filming with 300 crew across five units, capturing Kalapana while the volcano erupted, or holding ceremony behind the scenes. From Tony and Ka‘iana’s arc to Jason Momoa’s vision as a director, Brian shares how Chief of War weaves pono, pain, and power into story, reminding us that the finale is not an end, but a beginning.
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0:00 Intro
0:36 Welina
1:11 Spolier Alert
1:29 Restructuring the Show Whether There Was a Season 2 or Not
2:49 Tony and Ka‘iana
7:06 Leadership, Kamehameha, Kū
8:49 Background on the Actual Ki‘i
11:57 Enjoy the Story
13:12 Kuleana and Pono Throughout the Process
15:47 Hawai‘i's Gift and Encouraging Others
18:04 Developing Our Ability to Do More
19:31 Jason as a Director
23:10 Kalapana Was a Must
24:47 300 People, 5 Units
29:54 Balancing It All Out
32:58 Warriors Working Through Pain
36:07 Fake Hollywood and Reality
36:40 The Volcano Actually is Erupting
39:21 Becoming and Holding Ceremony
41:39 Impactful Behind the Scenes
42:23 The Finale is Just the Beginning
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Watch Chief of War on Apple TV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/chief-of...
Dive deeper into more episodes of Hu‘e Kaona: Chief of War Talk Story Sessions at kanaeokana.net/chiefofwar
Like and subscribe: youtube.com/kanaeokana?sub_confirmati...
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Find learning resources and links at kanaeokana.net/chiefofwar
Learn more about the Hawai‘i Film Alliance: hawaiifilmalliance.org
Pa‘a Sibbett sits down with producer and waterman Brian Keaulana to talk story about Episode 9: The Black Desert. They reflect on reshaping the show’s arc, the weight of leadership and kuleana, and the balance of authenticity and scale—whether filming with 300 crew across five units, capturing Kalapana while the volcano erupted, or holding ceremony behind the scenes. From Tony and Ka‘iana’s arc to Jason Momoa’s vision as a director, Brian shares how Chief of War weaves pono, pain, and power into story, reminding us that the finale is not an end, but a beginning.
---
0:00 Intro
0:36 Welina
1:11 Spolier Alert
1:29 Restructuring the Show Whether There Was a Season 2 or Not
2:49 Tony and Ka‘iana
7:06 Leadership, Kamehameha, Kū
8:49 Background on the Actual Ki‘i
11:57 Enjoy the Story
13:12 Kuleana and Pono Throughout the Process
15:47 Hawai‘i's Gift and Encouraging Others
18:04 Developing Our Ability to Do More
19:31 Jason as a Director
23:10 Kalapana Was a Must
24:47 300 People, 5 Units
29:54 Balancing It All Out
32:58 Warriors Working Through Pain
36:07 Fake Hollywood and Reality
36:40 The Volcano Actually is Erupting
39:21 Becoming and Holding Ceremony
41:39 Impactful Behind the Scenes
42:23 The Finale is Just the Beginning
---
Watch Chief of War on Apple TV+: https://tv.apple.com/us/show/chief-of...
Dive deeper into more episodes of Hu‘e Kaona: Chief of War Talk Story Sessions at kanaeokana.net/chiefofwar
Like and subscribe: youtube.com/kanaeokana?sub_confirmati...
---
Find learning resources and links at kanaeokana.net/chiefofwar
Learn more about the Hawai‘i Film Alliance: hawaiifilmalliance.org
