What's up, buddy?
What's going on, Jason? How are you doing?
I'm awesome. But not really.
I'm in quarantine, and I'm going out of my mind.
Jason Momoa is one of the biggest stars in the world,
so you're getting back to work.
But before you get back to work, you have to...
Like, in Canada, for instance,
you have to sit for two weeks at home.
You can't leave the house. I think they-they threaten you.
-It's a $750,000 fine if you leave. -Is it really?
Yeah. If you leave the house before that two weeks is up.
Canada's taking it seriously, Jason,
-so what are you doing? -They are. You know what?
What are you doing to stay sane?
No one's got any problems up here.
Everybody's, like, clean and good,
and it's back to normal.
I mean, everyone's wearing masks.
-But, I mean, it looks nice from the house. -Right.
But most of my friends, they're in, like,
hotels where they can't even go out.
I mean, I got a small, little yard.
But yeah, I haven't...
You know, I haven't been in a place that's not my home.
Quarantine is-is kind of gnarly.
It is. It is. What are you doing to stay sane?
I-I feel like there's a motorbike behind you,
and I was like, "That..." I was like...
Yeah, I'm looking at a bike that I can't ride.
-(laughs) -It's, uh, painful.
I mean, I'm-I'm playing music. There's a bunch of, like...
I don't know, can we move this computer or no?
-MAN: Yeah. -So, you know,
I'll show you my little spot. I'm listening to music.
And then there's... I brought my guitars.
Okay, okay, okay.
And, so...
I'm gonna learn how to play stand-up bass.
All right, all right, all right.
That's my new... Learn how to play stand-up bass.
And I'm gonna learn how to play mandolin.
How many instruments do you currently play?
I play guitar. I play bass. I'm learning drums.
I want to learn trumpet, too, but I didn't bring that.
-My daughter's learning trumpet. -Damn.
But, uh, that's what kind of keeps me staying.
I didn't get to grow up with a lot of instruments,
-so I'm making up for lost time. -Right, right.
I feel like you're the one person
who was designed for this.
Do you feel like you were... you were ready for this moment?
Does it... You know,
-has it thrown you off as much as it has everyone else? -Uh...
You know, what I was really ready for is a nice reset.
I mean, I think it's really beautiful.
Um, I never get to be home,
so I got to be home with my babies.
And-and they're 11 and 13,
-so it's a very beautiful time to be home. -Right.
And also a lot... a lot of work on myself.
And me and my wife. We've been together 14 years.
It's been a beautiful time to, like, just work on us
because I spent years trying to build a career
where I actually did stuff that I love to do, which...
-Now I have that career. -Uh-huh.
It was not the case 22 years ago.
-Yeah. -So, it's just been good to be home.
And now I'm back to work, and it's kind of sad
because my kids can't come up to see me
because they have to do two weeks quarantine.
-Right. -So, it's the first time I've ever been away
from my family for this long, so...
Jason Momoa, a lot of people know you as an action star.
I mean, you know, whether it's being
a breakout star in Game of Thrones,
whether it's, you know, leading the front line of shows
on Apple TV with See,
whether it's, um, you know, just, like,
blowing up the box office with Aquaman,
Jason Momoa is an action star.
This project that we're gonna be talking about today
is a little different.
It's a lot of heart,
a lot of pain and a lot of hope.
Tell me about the documentary Gather
and why Jason Momoa decided that this-this film
needed to be made.
Well, I think, uh, what you brought up,
just being known as, like, an action star,
you know, it's a misconception of who I am,
even going back to my first film that I directed.
It had to deal with, um, the atrocities
that were happening on Native American reservations.
Um, I made it my duty in many ways
and in my art and my companies
to kind of fight for justice
and, uh, bring to the forefront things that are my concerns.
And I think all the roles that I play,
people kind of can think of me in a different way.
-Yeah. -But, you know, when Gather came by, there's...
Those things are happening
to even my own people in Hawaii.
Or just the things that have been happening
and what has happened to our ancestors
and the disconnection between, uh,
our ancestries and-and our traditions,
our food source.
And, so, this film is extremely beautiful, and I...
If I can use my platform in any way
to be able to bring something that's an honest, human film
and true history and explanation
to what has happened to so many...
so many indigenous cultures,
-I'm-I'm all on board. -Right.
So, when I saw it, it blew my hair back.
You know, I've seen it about five times.
I love it.
I just watched it again so that I could be with you.
And I... I mean, have you had a chance to watch it?
Man, I-I... Can I tell you something?
I learned things watching it that I-I didn't know.
I-I feel like any great documentary does that.
Any great documentary, you know,
sharpens up the things you do know,
but then it'll always open your eyes
to an aspect of an issue
that you genuinely never knew before.
What a lot of people may not know
is how decimating their food supply
was one of the things that the colonialists did
to destroy Native American populations.
Decimating their food, you know, polluting the way they eat,
restricting them from living the way they lived.
And you see those effects
still affecting those communities today,
and that's what you show in the documentary,
which I found really fascinating.
I mean, and how it ripples out.
I mean, like, it-it relates to even my own culture,
which is obesity and, like, just shipping
all the-the crap food that's coming over on boats.
When we were... You know, we were Island Earth.
We were 100% by ourselves in the middle of the ocean.
I just find it that it's so disconnected
from the natural food source
that it's beautiful to be able to share a little bit of that
and be a part of something like this.
So, I mean, I definitely...
I'm very thankful that you watched it,
um, 'cause sometimes people don't get to do that,
so I'm-I'm very thankful for that.
But it's, uh...
Yeah, it's a beautiful film
that, um, I want to get out to the world.
You showcase people who are putting forth solutions.
You know, you're-you're putting indigenous peoples
in front of the camera.
This isn't one of those stories where, like,
the documentary filmmaker or the executive producer
makes it about themselves.
This is the story about the people.
We follow these amazing people who are saying,
"Here's how we can combine science with our traditions.
"Here's how we can move into the future.
Here's how we can claim back our food supply."
Why do you think it was so important for you
to make sure that this film
centered itself around those heroes
as opposed to just you telling their story?
I mean, that's the best part
about this thing and, like, being involved,
because it comes directly from there.
I felt like I was getting...
I felt like I was growing and getting therapy,
uh, in the experience within the tribe.
I mean, that's what's beautiful about it,
is it's truly amazing filmmaking.
Also, the-the director, just the way that he unfolds it
in his storytelling process.
So, I-I mean, that's what makes this
just a great documentary in general.
Before I let you go, um,
I'm worried about you in quarantine.
I know how crazy that can be.
Here's my suggestion. You play music.
I say you should do, like, a free concert every day,
even if it's for 30 minutes with people live online.
You like being in quarantine, though.
-I feel like you like it. -(laughs)
I feel like you've been loving it.
I was born in quarantine, Jason.
You claim quarantine. I was born in quarantine.
No, man, you know what, I-I grew up stuck in the house
partly because of apartheid,
partly because my grandmother was afraid to let me go outside.
So, I mean, I'm used to it, but I don't think
I'm used to anything that's happening in the world.
So, uh, stay strong, man. Stay strong. Stay healthy.
I'm looking forward to giving you a hug one of these days.
-You know? I'll give you... -(laughs) Deal, my friend.
Don't ever threaten me with a hug, Jason.
I'll take you up on it.
Thank you so much for joining us on the show.
Thank you very much, everyone. Cheers.