LAHORE: 20-year-old Pakistani illustrator, Awais Shaukat, is directing an animated short film focusing on the issue of child labor in the country. Titled “Under the Blaze”, the film will highlight children’s struggles working in the country’s brick kiln industry.
Awais, who began his career in digital art at just 15, has taken a hands-on approach to the project, drawing inspiration from his visits to various brick kilns. He observed firsthand the difficult conditions faced by child laborers and was motivated to tell their stories through animation. The film’s script, written by Omer Bin Safia, is based on these real-life experiences.
The director noted that the children he encountered at the kilns were often scared and hid from visitors, fearing repercussions. This experience reinforced his belief in the power of animation to bring such hidden stories to light.
He is listed as the most-viewed person in Pakistan on Crunchbase, the world’s top business directory site, and also appeared on the 1st by searching ‘Pakistani illustrators’ on Google.
The film, which is currently in pre-production, employs a traditional 2D animation style, with each frame hand-drawn and backgrounds individually painted. Rafhan Shaukat of Bluelinks Agency is producing the project through Lahore-based Awartsy Animations.
The character design sketches feel style inspired by Japanese anime director Makoro Shinkai and Studio Ghibli.
Under the Blaze is expected to make its debut at international film festivals next year, aiming to raise awareness about the ongoing issue of child labor in Pakistan.
