The trials and tribulations of being a kid–fitting in at school, getting along with siblings, finishing homework–are universal issues familiar to all.
Now, add in discovering who you are and growing up as a trans youth in Kansas City.
Transhood, director Sharon Liese’s in-depth five-year journey, follows the lives of four kids (ages beginning at 4, 9, 12, and 15) as they are discovering their specific trans experiences alongside their families.
Each of the kids and their parents navigate the day-to-day challenges of their home lives and their lives out in the world. Finding normalcy isn’t easy while tackling issues of body dysphoria, transphobia and bullying, and many other big topics that their cis-gender classmates can’t understand.
What truly ties these stories together is the unbelievable empathy and humanity exemplified by each family, not just with the heavy moments, but often also during those typical of any childhood.