'Transhood': Release date, plot, cast and all you need to know about the HBO 'coming of age' documentary

A new documentary from HBO follows four transgender kids – aged 4, 7, 12 and 15 – as they redefine 'coming of age'

BY NEETHA K

PUBLISHED JUN 3, 2020

It is pride month as the LGBTQIA community's fight for equal rights continues worldwide. The community is affected differently in different parts of the world. A new documentary from HBO follows four transgender kids – aged 4, 7, 12 and 15 – as they redefine "coming of age". Read on to know more details about the documentary:

Release date

'Transhood' will premiere on HBO on June 24.

Plot

Filmed over four years, a lingering lens provides a profound look at four transgender youth (starting at ages 4, 9, 12 and 15) as they redefine "coming of age". These kids and their families unmask the intimate realities of how gender fluidity is re-shaping the family next door, especially in America's heartland. This film probes deep — creating the richness and insight inspired by works such as 'Boyhood' and the 'Up'.

Beyond an untold chronicling of growing up trans in Kansas City, the film is a nuanced examination of how families tussle, transform and surprisingly find purpose in their new identities as a trans family. The film raises controversial questions about parents' motives and secondary gains from an identity as a trans family. Four kids face typical growing pains like acne, sibling rivalry, divorcing parents, crushes, and breakups. But unlike their cisgender peers, they navigate body dysphoria, hormone treatments, threats of violence, and the weight of making life-altering decisions. Curiously, these journeys unfold in the buckle of the bible belt where the struggle for political and social equality meets high resistance.

Director

Sharon Liese

Sharon Liese is a critically acclaimed and award-winning filmmaker who produces documentary-style television programming and documentary films that air on major television networks. She is known for her work on 'Pink Collar Crimes', 'American Grit', 'High School Confidential', and 'Fight for the First'.