A short film capturing the tribulations of a transsexual in a ruthlessly "normal" society has been selected in the competitive section of the prestigious Durban Film Festival this year.

"I Couldn't Be Your Son, Mom" is the maiden film by Kolkata's Sohini Dasgupta, 25. The 15-minute film was selected for the competitive section in the Durban festival that begins June 6.

Produced by eminent filmmaker Buddhadeb Dasgupta, the film has also been screened at the International Film Festival of India (IFFI) in Goa last year.

"I Couldn't Be Your Son, Mom" talks about the growing up years of Tista Das, a female trapped in a male body who suffers from gender identity crisis - called GID (Gender Identity Disorder) in medical terms.

In the space of 15 short minutes, it attempts to show Tista's struggle against a society that ruthlessly negates her endeavour to attain her real self.

"Transsexuality is a hushed up subject in our society. More importantly, very few people have a clear conception about it. The film metaphorically delves into sociological and psychological depths attempting to evoke a kind of awareness on the subject," Sohini said.

"When I met Tista, a transgender person or rather a 'female trapped in a male body', she revealed a world so unknown to me, so different from what most of us see around us, so mysterious and so painful at times. I was instantly driven to make my maiden film on Tista," Sohini told.

She was introduced to Tista by Buddhadeb Dasgupta, a well-known filmmaker.

"I never intended to give statistical data and survey reports to my audience but tried to unveil some truths on the subject and evoke some compassion for the transgender person in our country and elsewhere. I chose to use two voices - Tista talks about her and I talk about myself in relation with Tista," the Calcutta University graduate said.

For 26-year-old Tista, who was once a man, the desire to present her statement through the documentary format is traced back to the fact that she had missed the humane touch in most of her earlier interactions with the media.