A moving Malaysian short film shows the bond between siblings is unbreakable, despite what their family has gone through.

A Day’s Work tells the story of Faiz who keeps skipping school to hang out at his older sister, Fana’s apartment.

Faiz has to keep it a secret from their father because he long ago rejected Fana for transitioning.

They are clearly very close until their relationship comes to a head when Faiz learns Fana is planning to flee Malaysia.

‘You have to understand, Faiz. This place is not for people like me,’ Fana tells Faiz.

Filmmaker Haris Mohd Nor made the film with his own brother to ‘highlight the sanctity of that bond between siblings’.

‘We would like to think that Faiz and Zana’s relationship are almost the same as any other siblings,’ Haris Mohd Nor said.

‘We believe that although one’s appearance is changed, but the person is still the same, and Faiz sees her as the person that he grew up with, his family.’

Nor wanted to tell a story that was unconventional but realistic. He aimed to highlight the isolation trans people in Malyasia can face.

‘We would hope that the audience would assume that Zana’s family are not accepting her anymore because of her decision to get a sex change operation, because in an Islamic background, it is forbidden to change to change your gender,’ he said.

‘However, the relationship between Zana and her brother, Faiz, is still the same.’

Malaysia is one of the few countries in the world that prosecutes people who live in a gender they were not assigned at birth.

Historically, Malaysia was always accepting of trans people until a series of legislative changes in the 1980’s. Now the community lives under a climate of harassment and discrimination.

In February, trans Malay woman Shameera Krishnan was shot the day before her 27th birthday.

Watch the film below: