Many bipedal species walked the untamed planet, until one day, it was only us. How did we become us? The documentary aims to explain this profound question with the search beginning in the Afar. Despite the area a place plagued with ancient rivalry and conflict, Zeresenay sets out to search for fossilized evidence of our ancestors.
Walking in the dry arid region, he discovers a tiny skull protruding from the sand. The geology of the nearby area reveals white bands of volcanic ash that are dated to 3.4 Mya. With the sands above it being younger, the find receives the date of 3.3Ma.
Excited, he takes his find to the museum and begins the arduous task of removing it from the sandstone. He names it “selam,” the local word for “peace.” Working hours on end, removing grain by grain, Selam is fully revealed after 8 long years