“What I really hope is that people realize we’re human. We’re not, like, some exotic species. We have human emotions — that’s what matters,” says one of the characters featured in “Transhood” in a new trailer for the film. Directed by Sharon Liese, the documentary was filmed over the course of five years in Kansas City and follows four transgender kids and their families.

“My mother thinks I’m a child abuser,” one of the kid’s mothers reveals. We meet another grandmother, this one much more accepting, who tells her granddaughter, “I’ve taken care of you since you were two months old. You’re my grandchild whether you’re male or female.”

“This is not a pleasant time to be out and visibly trans,” we’re told. The spot suggests that the kids have lost friends and family members since coming out as trans. “It’s vital for me to have my parents understand what I’m trying to get at,” one of the characters explains. “Being a teenager’s just hard enough on its own. Going through puberty as someone that you’re not is a lot harder.”

“Pink Collar Crimes,” “Fight for the First,” and  “The Gnomist” are among Liese’s other credits. She told us that she loves to tell coming-of-age stories because “transformation over time is fascinating” to her. “When I met with the the Transgender Institute in Kansas City, I was immediately in awe of the people I met at support groups. I was especially drawn to the kids who were finding their voice and figuring out how to tell the world who they are,” the filmmaker recalled. “When I started filming five years ago, people knew even less than they do today about trans folks. I fell in love with the kids and their families immediately and wanted the world to see what I see in them.”

“Transhood” won the Audience Award for Best Feature at AFI Docs Film Festival. The doc debuts on HBO November 12.