A child says, WHEE!

[Upbeat music plays, giggling]

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

[Upbeat music plays]

Olivia smiles as she does the splits on a balance beam in a gym. She wears her black hair tied away from her face. She wears a black and pink long-sleeved jacket with white trim.

A narrator says, MEET OLIVIA.
SHE'S A BIT OF A FOODIE.

Olivia stirs food in a pot.

Olivia says, MMM.
THIS SMELLS SO GOOD.

A small child skates to Oliva and hugs her.

The narrator says, SHE LOVES
EVERYTHING ABOUT HER FAMILY.

[Skates scrape ice]

Olivia says, I LOVE SKATING
ON THE RIDEAU CANAL.

OLIVIA IS GOING TO FLIP WHEN
SHE SEES HER SPECIAL SURPRISE.
YOU DON'T WANT TO MISS THIS.

LOOKS LIKE WE'RE READY.
LET'S GO!

A child says, WHEE!

[Upbeat music plays, giggling]

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

[Upbeat music plays]

Green text beneath Olivia reads, “Sak Pase?” Blue text beside that reads, “How are you?” Red text beside her reads, “Olivia.”

Olivia says, Sak Pase? I'M OLIVIA
AND I'M TEN YEARS OLD.

An animated map shows the location of Ottawa in Ontario, Canada.

[Upbeat music continues]

Olivia says, I LIVE IN OTTAWA
IN A PLACE CALLED ORLEANS.

DO YOU WANT TO SEE WHAT
HAPPENS IN MY CANADIAN
HAITIAN FAMILY? COME ON,
LET'S GO.

Red text reads, “Canadian Hatian.” Olivia points to Canada on an inflated globe beach ball. The animated map shows a red dotted line between Ottawa, Canada and Haiti.

Olivia says, THIS IS WHERE I LIVE IN
CANADA AND THIS IS WHERE MY
FAMILY IS FROM, HAITI.

Text by an island on the map reads, “Dominican Republic.” “Haiti.”

Olivia says, FUN FACT.

HAITI SHARES HALF OF THE ISLAND
WITH THE DOMINICAN REPUBLIC.

The blue and red flag of Haiti flaps. A white square in the centre of the flag features a large boat and trees.

Olivia says, THIS IS THE FLAG
OF HAITI. IT'S BLUE AND RED.

IN THE MIDDLE THERE'S A CREST
WITH A BOAT AND PALM TREES.

IT SAYS L'UNION FAIT LA FORCE
AND THAT MEANS IN UNION THERE
IS STRENGTH.

Blue text reads, “In Union, There is Strength.” Green text reads, “January first, eighteen-on-four.”

Olivia says, DID YOU KNOW THAT
JANUARY FIRST, EIGHTEEN-OH-FOUR,
HAITI GAINED ITS FREEDOM.

Olivia sits on a floor in front of a girl who wears her black hair pulled into a ponytail. Behind the girl sits a woman with long, wavy black hair. A woman with short grey hair stands behind her. Blue text beside her reads, “Grandma.”

Olivia says, UP TOP THIS IS MY
GRANDMA, THIS IS MY MOM AND
THIS IS MY OLDER SISTER,
ALICIA-ZHANEY.

Yellow text beside the woman in the chair reads, “Mom.” Blue text beside the girl sitting behind Olivia reads, “Older Sister.”

A young girl runs and sits in front of Olivia.

She asks, HEY, WHAT ABOUT ME?

Olivia says, AND THIS IS MY LITTLE
SISTER, KHLOÉ.

Yellow text above Khloé reads, “Little Sister.”

A man with a black beard and moustache looks up from a computer.

[He clears his throat]

Olivia says, AND THAT'S MY DAD,
HE DOESN'T NEED TO GET HIS
HAIR DONE.

Yellow text beside her father reads, “Dad.” He raises his eyebrows and looks back at his computer.

Pink text over a painting of people sitting at a food-covered table reads, “Laurena Finéus.”

Olivia says, THIS IS A PAINTING
BY LAURENA FINÉUS.

I LIKE THIS PAINTING BECAUSE
EVERYONE IS EATING SOUP JOUMOU.

WHEN HAITIANS GAINED THEIR
FREEDOM THEY CELEBRATED BY
EATING SOUP JOUMOU.

Green text by the painting reads, “Soup Joumou (Haitian Squash Soup).”

Olivia says, I SMELL SOMETHING
DELICIOUS COOKING.

Olivia walks into a kitchen and stands beside her mother. Her mother stands behind a kitchen island with a tray of ingredients on the top.

Olivia says, TODAY, WE'RE MAKING
SOUP JOUMOU.

TO MAKE SOUP JOUMOU, WE
NEED SOME PASTA.
WE NEED CARROTS.
WE NEED PLANTAINS.
WE NEED POTATOES.
WE NEED MEAT.
WE NEED SPICES AND, LAST
BUT NOT LEAST, WE HAVE
THE JOUMOU. IT'S LIKE A
TASTY SQUASH.

Text beside Olivia and a piece of Joumou reads, “Joumou Squash.”

Olivia pretends to bite the squash.

[Crunch, chiming]

Olivia says, NOW I'M GONNA
SCOOP OUT THE GUTS OF
THE JOUMOU.

AND NOW WE'RE GONNA PUT
ALL OF IT INTO A POT OF
BOILING WATER.

MMM, THIS SMELLS SO GOOD.

I BOILED AND BLENDED
THE JOUMOU.

NOW I'M GONNA DRAIN IT.
IT'S ALMOST READY.

BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER WHERE
YOU ARE IN THE WORLD ON
JANUARY FIRST. IT WILL ALWAYS
BE THE SOUP OF FREEDOM.

She says, “Se Sa Net!”

Red text beneath her reads, “Se sa net!” Blue text reads, “It’s all Good!”

[Slide whistle]

Olivia says, I LEARNED CREOLE
FROM MY PARENTS.

HAITIANS SPEAK CREOLE WHICH
IS A MIX OF FRENCH, SPANISH,
ENGLISH AND AFRICAN DIALECTS.

Text reads, Olivia’s Creole Word Game. Good luck.”

Olivia stands between her sisters as they sit by a table.

[Upbeat music continues]

Olivia says, OKAY YOU TWO.

HOW DO YOU SAY "HOW
ARE YOU?" IN CREOLE?

Blue text reads, “How are you?”

[Ringing]

Khloe says, KIJAN OU YE?

Yellow text beneath her reads, “Kijan ou ye?”

Olivia says, CORRECT!

[Chime]

Olivia says, SECOND QUESTION.
HOW DO YOU SAY "WHAT'S
YOUR NAME?" IN CREOLE?

Blue text reads, “What’s you name?”

[Ringing]

Alicia-Zhaney says, KIJAN OU RELE?

Yellow text beneath her reads, “Kijan ou rele?”

Olivia says, CORRECT!

[Chime]

Olivia high fives her sisters.

[Giggling, hands slapping, upbeat music continues]

Olivia says, I TRAIN IN GYMNASTICS
TWELVE HOURS A WEEK.

THIS IS MY COACH STEPH.

Steph smiles and waves. She wears her brown hair pulled away from her face. She wears a black jacket over a pink shirt. Blue text beneath her reads, “Steph.”

Steph says, ALL RIGHT, LET'S
GET YOU ON THE BARS.

Olivia does the splits on the beam.

Olivia says, I TRAIN ON THE BEAM.

I DO VAULT.

Olivia flips over a vault.

[Smack]

Olivia says, OH YEAH.

BUT FLOOR IS MY FAVOURITE.

Olivia flips across a floor. Steph runs and high fives her. Olivia holds the flag of Haiti as she dances.

[Smack]

Olivia says, ALL I CAN SAY RIGHT
NOW IS GYMNASTICS IS AWESOME.

Olivia hangs upside down on a bar.

Olivia says, THIS IS MY HOME GYM
AND THIS IS MY BAR AND I LOVE IT.

AND I ALSO HAVE A BEAM IN MY
SISTER'S ROOM.

THESE HERE ARE MY MEDALS.

THIS SILVER MEDAL I WON DURING
FLOOR ROUTINES.

The animated sun puts on a crown.

[Chimes, squeaking]

Olivia says, THIS GOLD MEDAL
I WON DURING VAULT ROUTINES.

THIS OTHER GOLD MEDAL I WON
AGAIN DURING FLOOR ROUTINES.

HERE, UP HERE, WE HAVE ANOTHER
GOLD MEDAL WHICH I WON DURING
FLOOR ROUTINES THIS TIME AND
THIS SILVER MEDAL I WON
DURING BEAM.

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!”

Khloe, Olivia’s father, Alicia-Zhaney, and Olivia’s mother sit on a sofa. Alicia-Zhaney holds a tablet.

Alicia-Zhaney says, WE ARE SO
PROUD OF OLIVIA BECAUSE SHE
HAS BEEN WORKING VERY HARD
IN GYMNASTICS AND SCHOOL
FOR THE PASSED THREE YEARS.

SHE'S BEEN ABLE TO KEEP UP WITH
HER STUDIES AND DO REALLY WELL
IN GYMNASTICS.

WE HOPE THIS VIDEO WILL
ENCOURAGE OLIVIA TO PURSUE HER
DREAMS OF GOING TO THE OLYMPICS
ONE DAY.

Olivia’s family cheers, GO OLIVIA! GO!

Alicia-Zhaney walks into Olivia’s bedroom and gives her the tablet.

Alicia-Zhaney says, HEY.
THIS VIDEO MESSAGE CAME
FOR YOU. PRESS PLAY TO SEE
WHAT IT IS.

A woman with long black hair waves in a video on the tablet. She wears a black shirt with red trim. Green text above her reads, “Naomy Grand’Pierre.”

Naomy says, HI OLIVIA.

THIS IS NAOMY GRAND'PIERRE.

I AM HAITI'S FIRST FEMALE
OLYMPIC SWIMMER AND I WANT
TO TALK TO YOU ABOUT MY
EXPERIENCE SO YOU CAN GO OUT
AND BECOME ONE OF HAITI OR
CANADA'S NEXT OLYMPIC GYMNASTS.

GOING TO THE OLYMPICS WAS
SOMETHING THAT I WANTED TO DO
SINCE I WAS TEN YEARS OLD AND
I DIDN'T GO TO THE OLYMPICS UNTIL
I WAS NINETEEN AND SO IT TOOK ME
NINE YEARS, ALMOST A DECADE, TO
ACHIEVE MY DREAM BUT IT'S JUST
NEVER GIVING UP UNTIL YOU
ACHIEVE WHAT IT IS THAT YOU SAID
YOU WANTED TO ACHIEVE AND NOT
LETTING ANYBODY TELL YOU THAT
THESE THINGS ARE IMPOSSIBLE.


BE EXCELLENT, DON'T GIVE UP, AND
YOU WILL ACHIEVE WHATEVER YOU
PUT YOUR MIND TO.

Olivia smiles and says, THAT WAS POWERFUL.

Olivia says, THIS IS MY DAD.
HE TAKES US SKATING EVERY
WEEK AND I LOVE IT. AND
SOMETIMES IF IT'S COLD ENOUGH...

[Slide whistle]

She shouts, WE GET TO SKATE
ON THE RIDEAU CANAL.

Olivia, her father, Alicia-Zhaney, and Khloe cheer, WOO!

Olivia explains, WHEN THE ICE HAS
BEEN FROZEN FOR A LONG TIME
PEOPLE ARE ABLE TO SKATE ON
THIS FROZEN BODY OF WATER.

YOU STILL NEED TO HAVE A
GROWN-UP WITH YOU BUT HOW
COOL IS THIS?

[Skates scrape ice]

Olivia says, I LOVE SKATING ON
THE RIDEAU CANAL.

Olivia dances by a sofa. She holds her right hand over her stomach and her left arm up, bent at the elbow with her palm facing forward.

[Happy music plays]

Olivia says, KOMPA IS WHAT HAITI
IS KNOWN FOR WHEN IT COMES
TO MUSIC AND DANCING.

MY GRANDPARENTS TELL ME THAT
WHEN THEY WERE YOUNGER THEY
WOULD GO OUTSIDE AND DANCE TO
TRADITIONAL MUSIC AND THEY
WOULD ALSO DANCE KOMPA.

Blue text reads, “Kompa.”

Olivia dances with her mother.

Olivia says, THE MUSIC TAKES ME
AWAY TO THAT BEAUTIFUL PLACE.

I CANNOT WAIT TO GO TO HAITI
FOR REAL.

THANKS FOR HANGING OUT
WITH ME TODAY AND I HOPE YOU
LEARNED A LITTLE BIT OF WHAT
IT'S LIKE BEING CANADIAN-HAITIAN.

Green text reads, “M’ale” Red text reads, “Bye.”

[Slide whistle, chime]

Olivia says, M'ALE, WHICH MEANS
BYE IN CREOLE.

End credits roll.

“Narrator: Catherine Verdon.
Producer: Sabine Daniel.
Written and Directed by Julie Patterson Porter.
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]