(music plays)

A caption reads "TVO Kids and Riverbank pictures original."
[LAUGHTER]

(music plays)

Wearing a mask, Akin walks in his room.

Akin is in his early teens, with slightly long braided brown hair and wears jeans and a yellow sweater.

Akin's room is full of colourful furniture, has different colour walls, a black and white checkered floor, pink curtains, and a neon sign that reads "Feelings" behind a couch.

He says OH HEY, IT'S ME AKIN.
THE HOST OF HOW DO YOU FEEL?
I'M SURE YOU'RE FEELING A LOT
THESE DAYS.
WE ALL ARE, AND THAT'S OKAY.
I WANTED TO TELL YOU THAT MY
FRIENDS AND I FILMED THE SHOW
BEFORE THE PANDEMIC, SO EVEN
THOUGH WE'RE NOT WEARING MASKS,
OR PHYSICALLY DISTANCING, IT'S
STILL VERY IMPORTANT.
SO IF YOU'RE IN A SITUATION
WHERE YOU NEED TO
PHYSICALLY DISTANCE, BUT YOU
CAN'T, PUT ON YOUR MASK.
IT'LL HELP KEEP YOU AND YOUR
FRIENDS SAFE.
WHICH FEELS GREAT!
ENJOY THE SHOW!

In animation, the opening of the show rolls.

As the sun comes up between the mountains, colourful letters with different mood facial expressions form the name of the show. It reads "How do you feel?"

A song goes SOME DAYS YOU MIGHT BE HAPPY
AND SOME DAYS YOU MIGHT BE MAD
OTHER DAYS THEY START OFF
RIGHT
BUT THEN YOU WENT UPSET
BUT IT'S OKAY
CUZ WE WANNA KNOW
HOW DO YOU FEEL?
YEAH, HOW DO YOU FEEL?

(music plays)

Akin sits next to his black dog Patty and says THERE, THERE, I HEAR YOU.
IT WAS SUPER UNFAIR THAT SOMEONE
SAID THAT TO YOU.
I THINK YOU HAVE BEAUTIFUL EARS
AND YOU DON'T NEED TO WORRY
ABOUT WHAT THE PERSON,
SORRY, THE DOGGY THAT
SAID DIFFERENT.
PATTY GOT CALLED OL' BIG EARS
AT THE PARK TODAY
AND IT MADE HER FEEL
A LITTLE UPSET.
I MEAN LOOK AT THOSE EARS.
THEY'RE THE BEST!
GETTING TEASED FOR BEING
DIFFERENT CAN REALLY HURT
BECAUSE THE TRUTH IS
WE'RE ALL DIFFERENT.
THAT'S WHAT MAKES US SPECIAL.
BUT TEASING DOES HAPPEN.
MY FRIEND SAVANNAH WAS
BEING TEASED
BECAUSE HER PARENTS ARE
FROM DIFFERENT RACES.
RACE MEANS A GROUP OF PEOPLE
THAT SHARE SIMILARITIES
IN THE WAY THEY LOOK.
HERE, I'LL TELL YOU MORE.

(music plays)

An animation rolls as Akin tells the story.

Akin says SAVANNAH'S BACKGROUND IS A
MIX OF MULTIPLE RACES,
INCLUDING AFRICAN CANADIAN,
CAUCASIAN, AND EAST ASIAN.
ONE DAY SHE WAS TEASED
BY SOMEONE HER OWN AGE.
THEY SAID SHE SHOULD PICK
ONE RACE
INSTEAD OF BEING WHO SHE IS.
THAT MADE SAVANNAH FEEL
VERY UNCOMFORTABLE AND ANGRY.
SHE FELT THAT EVERYONE IS HUMAN
AND SHE WAS PROUD OF HER
MULTIRACIAL BACKGROUND.
WHEN THE TEASING HAPPENED,
SAVANNAH STOOD UP FOR HERSELF
AND TOLD THE PERSON WHO WAS
TEASING HER
HOW IT MADE HER FEEL.
IT'S FRUSTRATING THAT SAVANNAH
WAS TEASED,
BUT IT'S AMAZING THAT SHE WAS
ABLE TO TELL SOMEONE
HOW SHE FELT.
NOW IT'S TIME TO ROLL UP
OUR SLEEVES.
AND TALK ABOUT HER FEELINGS.
I CALLED AHEAD TO MY
BUDDY DUANE
TO GET HIM WORKING.

He meets with Duane in his back yard.

Duane is in his thirties, with short straight black hair and wears beige trousers, a purple T-shirt and an unbuttoned blue shirt.

Akin says HOW'S IT COMING
ALONG?

Duane says NOT BAD.

Akin says WHAT DID YOU THINK OF
SAVANNAH'S STORY?

Duane says WELL, WHAT SAVANNAH THINKS
AND FEELS IS VALID.
SHE DESERVES RESPECT AND TO BE
HEARD BY OTHERS.
IT'S NOT EASY TO DO, BUT IT'S
VERY IMPORTANT FOR US
SOMETIMES TO STAND UP
FOR OURSELVES.

Akin says IT'S SAD THAT SOMEONE COULD GET
TEASED BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE.

Duane says WHAT SAVANNAH EXPERIENCED
IS CALLED RACISM.
THAT'S WHEN SOMEONE IS TREATED
POORLY BECAUSE OF THEIR RACE.
SAVANNAH SAID IT
BEST, SHE DESERVES
TO BE TREATED
WITH RESPECT.
MY HOPE IS THAT SHE'LL SPEAK
WITH AN ADULT
THAT SHE CAN TRUST,
LIKE A PARENT, OR GUARDIAN, A
TEACHER, OR AN INSTRUCTOR,
UNTIL SHE GETS AS MUCH SUPPORT
AS SHE NEEDS.

Akin says WHAT ELSE CAN SAVANNAH DO IF SHE
EXPERIENCES RACISM?

Duane says WELL, SOMETIMES PEOPLE TEASE
OTHERS BECAUSE
OF A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING
AND JUST AS SAVANNAH TOOK THE
TIME TO LET THIS PERSON KNOW
HOW THEIR WORDS MADE HER FEEL,
MAYBE SHE CAN ALSO TAKE THE TIME
TO ENLIGHTEN THIS PERSON ABOUT
HER MULTICULTURAL BACKGROUND.
SOMETIMES ENLIGHTENING SOMEONE
CAN GO A LONG WAY
TO HELPING THEM UNDERSTAND,
APPRECIATE,
AND MAYBE EVEN EMBRACE
OUR DIFFERENCES.

Akin says I LOVE GETTING TO KNOW PEOPLE
DIFFERENT FROM ME!
DON'T YOU?

Duane says DEFINITELY!
WE LIVE IN A DIVERSE COUNTRY
AND WHEN WONDERFUL PEOPLE
LIKE SAVANNAH STAND UP
FOR THEMSELVES
IN A PATIENT AND PEACEFUL
MANNER, IT MAY GO A LONG WAY
TOWARDS BUILDING A MORE
CARING SOCIETY
WHERE EVERYONE IS CELEBRATED.
MY HOPE IS THAT SAVANNAH WILL
USE THE SAME COURAGE
THAT SHE USED IN THIS SITUATION
TO APPROACH
ANY CHALLENGES THAT MAY
COME HER WAY.

Akin says I THINK SAVANNA'S MY
ROLE MODEL.

Duane says MINE TOO.

(music plays)
[FANFARE]

Now Akin hangs with his friends and his dog in the basement.

(music plays)

Akin says LOOKS LIKE MY FRIENDS DID A
GREAT JOB
TURNING PATTY'S FROWN
UPSIDE DOWN.
WHEN SOMEONE GETS TEASED
IT HELPS TO
PUT YOUR ARM AROUND THEM AND
TELL THEM IT'S OKAY.
SO, SAVANNAH EXPERIENCED
RACISM.
HOW DID THAT MAKE YOU FEEL?

Jude is around 11, with short straight brown hair with shaved sides and wears a blue sweater and a denim jacket.

He says I THINK IT MAKES ME FEEL MAD.

Maleda is around 12, with long wavy brown hair in a low ponytail and wears a floral sweater.

She says HONESTLY, IT MAKES ME
FEEL ANGRY CAUSE
YOU SHOULDN'T BULLY ANYONE FOR
ANY TYPE OF REASON,
ESPECIALLY CAUSE OF THEIR RACE.

Akin says IS IT OKAY TO TREAT
SOMEONE DIFFERENT
BECAUSE OF THE COLOUR
OF THEIR SKIN?

Shivansh is around 9, with short brown hair and wears a red shirt.

He says NO! NO, NO, NO, NO, NO.

Maleda says OF COURSE NOT BECAUSE THEY
DON'T CHOOSE
IF THEY WANT TO BE THAT LIKE
FROM THIS RACE OR THAT RACE
AND YOU CAN'T BULLY THEM FOR
THAT, IT'S JUST NOT NICE.

Akin says WHAT WOULD YOU SAY TO
SOMEONE WHO'S TEASING
ANOTHER PERSON BECAUSE
OF THEIR RACE?

Shivansh says I WOULD SAY, "COULD
YOU PLEASE STOP IT
IT'S JUST THE PERSON'S RACE."

Jude says I THINK THEY SHOULDN'T
BE JUDGED ON
WHAT COLOUR THEY ARE AND
IT'S JUST RUDE.

Akin says IS THERE ANYTHING WE COULD DO TO
TRY AND STOP RACISM?

Shivansh says IF SOMEBODY'S BULLYING
SOMEBODY ELSE,
TELL THEM TO STOP.
IF THEY DON'T STOP YOU HAVE TO,
AH, TELL ADULTS.

Jude says THE MORE WE TALK ABOUT
IT WE LEARN
HOW IT MAKES OTHER
PEOPLE FEEL.

Akin says DO YOU GUYS LIKE MEETING PEOPLE
DIFFERENT FROM YOU?

Shivansh says YEP, BECAUSE IT'S LIKE MAKING
DIFFERENT KINDS OF FRIENDS.

Mileda says WELL, I WOULD ACTUALLY LIKE TO
MEET PEOPLE DIFFERENT FROM ME
SO THEN I COULD LEARN ABOUT THEM
AND TELL ALL MY FRIENDS
ABOUT HOW COOL THEY WERE AND
WHERE THEY WERE FROM
AND OF COURSE HOPEFULLY
MY FRIENDS
WOULDN'T BE MEAN ABOUT THAT.

Jude says YES, BECAUSE THEN I CAN
LEARN ABOUT THEM
AND IT'S NICE TO LEARN ABOUT
WHERE THEY'RE FROM.

Akin says WHAT WOULD YOU LIKE TO TELL
SAVANNAH IF SHE WERE HERE?

Shivansh says YOU HAVE TO BE LIKE CONFIDENT
AND STAND UP FOR YOURSELF.

Mileda says I WOULD TELL HER THAT SHE'S
VERY BRAVE TO STAND UP
TO THE PEOPLE BEING RACIST
AND SHE'S SPECIAL IN MANY
DIFFERENT WAYS.

Jude says IT'S OKAY TO BE DIFFERENT
SOMETIMES
AND SHE DID A GREAT JOB.

Akin says THAT WAS TOUGH FOR
SAVANNAH,
LET'S SEND HER A MESSAGE.
THREE, TWO, ONE.

They all say WE LIKE YOU JUST THE WAY
YOU ARE!

(music plays)

Back in his room, Akin says I'M FRUSTRATED THAT SAVANNAH HAD
THIS EXPERIENCE.
SOMETIMES WHEN I'M ANGRY,
FRUSTRATED OR PANICKING,
I TURN TO A CALM DOWN KIT.
A CALM DOWN KIT IS FULL OF
THINGS THAT
CALM YOU DOWN.
AND WHATEVER IS IN IT IS CHOSEN
BY YOU
AND YOU ALONE.
MY KITS GOT A STRESS BALL,
SOME MARKERS FOR DRAWING,
AND MY FAVOURITE, A BOTTLE FULL
OF WATER AND GLITTER.
TURNING THIS PUPPY OVER AND
WATCHING THE GLITTER,
TURNS MY INSIDES FROM LAVA, TO A
BABBLING BROOK.
THINK ABOUT WHAT CALMS YOU DOWN.
AND MAKE A CALM DOWN KIT.
IT'LL ALWAYS BE THERE WHEN YOU
NEED IT.
WHOOOOAAA!

(music plays)

Mileda says to Jude YOU'RE A REALLY
NICE PERSON.

Jude says to Mileda YOU'RE REALLY SMART.

Shivansh says to Akin YOU'RE A REALLY
GOOD DANCER.

Akin says to Shicvansh YOU'RE A REALLY
OUTGOING KID.
IN THE SPIRIT OF SAVANNAH
BRAVELY SHARING HER STORY,
WE'VE DECIDED TO SPREAD THE LOVE
BY TELLING EACH OTHER
WHY WE'RE SO SPECIAL.
HERE'S ONE FOR YOU.
YOU'RE SPECIAL FOR LISTENING AND
SHARING WITH US TODAY.
GOODBYE!

They all say BYE! BYE! BYE!

Music plays as the end credits roll.

Copyright 2020, Riverbank Pictures.