A child says, WHEE!

[Upbeat music plays, giggling]

Text reads, “TVOkids.” “Apartment Eleven Productions.” “Original.”

[Upbeat music plays]

Yaphet wears his black curly hair short. Yaphet wears a light orange astronaut training suit

A narrator says, MEET YAPHET.
HE'S ELEVEN YEARS OLD AND
WANTS TO BE CANADA'S FIRST
BLACK ASTRONAUT.

Yaphet says, I CAN'T WAIT TO GO ON MY
FIRST MISSION.

The narrator says, HE'S ALSO
GOT SOME SWAG.

LOOK AT THOSE MOVES.

Yaphet dances in a circle with two young girls.

The narrator says, HE COOKS
TRADITIONAL FOOD WITH
HIS MOM.

Yaphet asks, WHO WANTS TO EAT
INJERA AND SALT?

Yaphet and two other children carry sleds as they run up a snowy hill.

The narrator says, LOOKS LIKE
THEY'RE READY. ARE YOU?

WELL, LET'S GO.

An animated sun waves. Photographs of children appear on a colourful brick wall. Text beneath the waving sun reads, “Sunny’s Quest.”

[Upbeat theme song plays, needle scratching on record]

An animated rocket ship lands. Yaphet waves through the window of the ship. Red text beneath him reads, “Yaphet.”

[Rocket engine]

He says, HI EVERYBODY.
SELAM. I'M YAPHET.

IN TIGRINYA, THE LANGUAGE
SPOKEN IN ERITREA, SELAM
MEANS HELLO.

Blue text beneath Yaphet reads, “Selam.” Green text beneath Yaphet reads, “Hello.”

A map shows the location of North York in Ontario, Canada. Text beneath the map reads, “Eritrean Canadian.”

Yaphet says, I'M AN ERITREAN CANADIAN
AND I LIVE IN TORONTO IN THE
NEIGHBOURHOOD OF NORTH YORK.

IT'S THE LARGEST CITY IN CANADA
AND THERE ARE SO MANY COOL
THINGS TO DO.

THIS IS WHERE I LIVE, DOWN IN
TORONTO AND ERITREA IS ALL
THE WAY ON THE OTHER SIDE
OF THE PLANET.

A red dotted line moves across the map from “Toronto” to “Eritrea.”

Yaphet says, ONE DAY I HOPE
TO BE THE FIRST BLACK CANADIAN
ASTRONAUT ON THE MOON.

[Rocket ship engine, upbeat music plays]

Yaphet’s father wears his long black hair loose. He wears a grey jacket and shirt with a grey scarf over his shoulders. Orange text beside him reads, “Dad.” Yaphet’s mother wears a yellow jacket with a yellow scarf. She wears her long black hair pulled back from her face. Red text beside her reads, “Mom.” Yaphet’s sister wears a pink shirt and pants, with a bow in her long, black hair. Text beneath her reads, “Sister.”

Yaphet says, THIS IS MY MOM, MY
DAD AND MY SISTER AND WE'RE
HERE AT THE SCIENCE CENTRE.

Yaphet and his sister run down a hallway. Yaphet sits on a machine and drives it as his sister and mother watch.

Yaphet says, CHECK THIS OUT.

WHEN I WAS IN KINDERGARTEN,
ONE DAY, WE LEARNED ABOUT
ASTRONAUTS. IT WAS INSPIRING.
IT MADE ME WANT TO
LEARN MORE.

[Slide whistle]

Yaphet says, YOU KNOW, I HAVE TO
STUDY HARD IF I WANT TO BECOME
AN ASTRONAUT.

I LOVE LEARNING ABOUT NEW
SPACECRAFT TECHNOLOGY AND
SPACE SUITS.

MY DREAM IS TO GO TO THE
INTERNATIONAL SPACE STATION
THEN THE MOON AND FINALLY
MARS. I CAN'T WAIT TO GO ON MY
FIRST MISSION.

[Slide whistle]

Yaphet sits on a bed with a pillow and bedspread covered in planets. Matching drapes hang in a window by the bed.

Yaphet says, THIS IS MY ROOM.

ERITREA IS IN THE NORTH EAST
OF AFRICA NEXT TO ETHIOPIA.

Yaphet points to Etitrea on a globe beachball.

Yaphet says, THIS IS THE
ERITREAN FLAG.

The red, yellow, blue, and green flag of Eritrea waves.
[Whoosh]

Yaphet says, THE RED REPRESENTS
OUR STRUGGLE FOR INTERDEPENDENCE,
THE BLUE REPRESENTS THE RED SEA
THAT THE COUNTRY RELIES ON AND
THE GREEN REPRESENTS ALL THE
FARMING AND THE AGRICULTURE.

[Upbeat music plays]

Yaphet says, IN MY ROOM THE WALLS
ARE COVERED WITH IMAGES AND
WORDS THAT INSPIRE ME.

Blue text beneath a sketch of a man reads, “Kawhi Leonard.”

Yaphet says, ME AND MY DAD MADE
THIS DRAWING OF A BASKETBALL
PLAYER. KAWHI LEONARD.

HE PLAYED FOR THE TORONTO
RAPTORS IN TWENTY-NINETEEN.

I ALSO LIKE TO PUT PICTURES OF
SPACESHIPS ON MY WALL.

I WON THE KINDNESS AND CARING
AWARD AT MY SCHOOL THREE
TIMES IN A ROW NOW. I GUESS IT'S
BECAUSE I TRY TO HELP PEOPLE
WHENEVER I CAN.

[Chiming]

Yaphet says, WHEN I'M RELAXING
AT HOME I LIKE TO BIRD-WATCH
WITH THESE BINOCULARS.

USUALLY I SEE BIRDS LIKE ROBINS,
LIKE, SITTING ON THIS TREE.

A robin shifts on a branch.

Yaphet says, CHILLING.

Text in a word bubble beside the robin reads, “Sup!?”

[Chirp]

Yaphet’s mother leans through his doorway.

She says, YAPHET.
GRANDMA AND AUNTIE ARE COMING.
WOULD YOU LIKE TO COME AND HELP
ME MAKE SOME INJERA PLEASE.

Yaphet says, OKAY MOM, COMING.

Yaphet stands in a kitchen. Yellow text beside Yaphet reads, “Injera.” Blue text beneath that reads, “Flat bread.”

Yaphet says, IT'S TIME TO MAKE
INJERA. INJERA IS A FERMENTED
SPONGY FLAT BREAD.

TO MAKE INJERA YOU NEED TEFF
FLOUR AND CORN FLOUR, WATER
AND SALT, BIG MIXING BOWL AND
A MIXER.

Yellow text beside a bowl of flour reads, “Teff flour.” Blue text beside a second bowl of flower reads, “Corn flour.” Orange text by a bowl reads, “Water and salt.”

Yaphet says, AND THE MOST
IMPORTANT THING IS TO HAVE
AN ADULT HELP YOU IN
THE KITCHEN.

Yaphet’s mother nods.

Yaphet says, FIRST POUR THE
TEFF FLOUR INTO THE SALT
AND WATER THEN ADD THE
CORN FLOUR AND FINALLY
TAKE A MIXER AND MIX
EVERYTHING IN…

[Mixer buzzes]

Yaphet says, UNTIL IT LOOKS
LIKE A LIQUID.

Yaphet’s mother says, YES.

Yaphet’s mother puts the lid on a wide, round griddle.

[Clank]

Yaphet says, BYE.

[Ticking, ding, slide whistle]

Yaphet says, WHEN IT IS FINISHED,
THE BREAD LOOKS LIKE THIS AND
IS READY TO EAT.

WHO WANTS TO EAT INJERA
AND SALT?

A girl counts in a foreign language.

Yaphet, his mother, father, and sister stand with two other women and a girl beside a sofa. Numbers beneath them count up, “One, two three.” The family jumps and their clothes change. Yaphet and his father wear long white shirts and pants. The women and girls wear white dresses with blue patterns. Text over a women with long black hair reads, “Aunt.” Text over a woman who wears her black hair pulled away from her face reads, “Grandma.” And text over a girl with a gold bow in her long black hair reads, “Mercy.”

Yaphet says, THIS IS MY GRANDMA,
MY AUNT, AND COUSIN MERCY.

SINCE THIS IS A SPECIAL DINNER
MY WHOLE FAMILY IS DRESSED
IN THEIR TRADITIONAL
ERETRIAN CLOTHES.

Yaphet turns. Blue text beneath him reads, “KIdan Habesha.” Yaphet’s sister spins. Green text beneath her reads, “Zuria.”

Yaphet says, MY OUTFIT IS CALLED
A KIDAN HABESHA AND FOR GIRLS
IT'S CALLED A ZURIA AND WHEN
WE'RE ALL DRESSED UP WE LOVE
TO DANCE.

Yaphet follows his sister as they dance around a beaded decoration.

[Upbeat music plays]

Yaphet says, THIS DANCE STYLE
IS CALLED ‘TIGRIGNA GUAYLA.’

FOR BOYS, YOU BOUNCE YOUR
SHOULDERS LIKE THIS AND WALK
IN A CIRCLE.

[Slide whistle]

Yaphet says, AFTER DANCING,
WE EAT.

YOU KNOW WHAT THEY SAY?
A FAMILY THAT EATS TOGETHER
STAYS TOGETHER.

[Background conversation]

Text over a woven tray of food reads, “Derho,” “Shiro,” “Hamli,” and “Dulet.” Text reads, “Tray, Mesob.”

Yaphet says, WE'RE EATING INJERA
AND A STEW THAT INCLUDES SHIRO,
DULET, DERHO AND HAMLI FROM
THE TRAY CALLED MESOB.

THE TRADITION IS TO EAT WITH
HANDS BECAUSE IT IS EASY TO FOLD
THE INJERA AND SCOOP THE STEW.

An animated blue present box wiggles. The present opens and the animated sun rises and blows into a party horn. Yellow text reads, “Sunny’s Surprise!”

Yaphet’s father holds a tablet as he sits down on the sofa beside Yaphet.

Yaphet says, HEY PA.

Yaphet’s father says, YAPHET.

I WANT TO SHARE A MESSAGE FOR
YOU BECAUSE WE ARE SO PROUD
OF YOU.

WE ENCOURAGE TO PURSUE PASSION
AND DREAMS.

WORK HARD, DO YOUR HOMEWORK,
PERSEVERE AND YOU WILL SUCCEED
AT LAST. KEEP IT UP.

Yaphet’s father gives him the tablet. Yaphet watches a video of a woman with short, curly black hair. She wears a white shirt. Red text beside the woman reads, “Astrophysicist, Professor Louise Edwards.”

[Upbeat music plays]

Professor Edwards says, HEY YAPHET.

MY NAME IS PROFESSOR LOUISE
EDWARDS. JUST LIKE YOU I ALSO
GREW UP IN CANADA.

Yaphet smiles at his father and his father smiles back. Yaphet continues watching the video.

Professor Edwards says, IT IS
AMAZING BEING AN ASTROPHYSICIST.

BASICALLY, I GET TO ASK
QUESTIONS, THAT I WANT TO,
ABOUT THE UNIVERSE AND THEN
TRY AND FIND WAYS TO ANSWER
THEM USING PHYSICS.

WHAT HAPPENS WHEN THINGS DON'T
GO THE WAY YOU THEY EXPECT?

THIS ALWAYS HAPPENS IN SCIENCE.

IT HAPPENS TO EVERYONE AND THE
ANSWER IS JUST TO KEEP GOING.
JUST, IF YOU'RE ENJOYING IT.

YOU MIGHT HAVE A BAD DAY BUT
IF YOU'RE ENJOYING IT OVERALL.
THIS IS WHAT YOU WANT TO DO.
JUST DO IT. JUST KEEP DOING IT.

Yaphet hugs his father.

Yaphet says, THANK YOU PAPA.

His father says, YOU'RE
WELCOME, YAPHET.

Four children stand on top of a snowy hill.

Yaphet says, WHEN I'M NOT
DREAMING OF SPACE TRAVEL.

I LOVE TO PLAY GAMES WITH MY
FRIENDS SUCH AS BASKETBALL,
SKATEBOARDING AND VIDEO GAMES.

WE ALL LOVE SLEDDING AND PLAYING
IN THE SNOW.

A child says, COME ON GUYS.

Yaphet sleds down the hill.

Yaphet shouts, YAHOO!
IT'S SO FUN.

The children sled down the hill.

Yaphet says, BYE EVERYONE.
THANKS FOR WATCHING.

Yaphet and his friends wave and say, BYE.

[Upbeat theme music plays]

End credits roll.

“Narrator: Catherine Verdon.
Producer: Sabine Daniel.
Written and Directed by Ella Cooper.
Original Music: Eric Lemoyne.

Co-Executive Producer: Mindy Laxer.
Executive Producer: Jonathan Finkelstein.

An Apartment Eleven Production. Produced in association with TVOkids.”

A child says, WHEE!

Text reads, “TVOkids.” “Apartment Eleven Productions.” “Original.”

[Giggling, squeaking]