Pakistan is set to explore a unique yet traditional style of animation with the forthcoming short film, “Under the Blaze.”

The film aims to raise awareness about child labor in Pakistan and is directed by 20-year-old illustrator and animator Awais Shaukat, an undergraduate fine arts student at the National College of Arts, Lahore.

Read more: Fawad Khan’s The Legend of Maula Jatt to Release in India Next Month

Produced by Rafhan Shaukat through his Lahore-based studio, Awartsy Animations, the project draws on real-life experiences of children working in brick kilns. Awais and his team gathered stories from various families after visiting multiple kilns.

Awais shared that the children working at the kilns would often vanish upon their arrival, fearing they were from a government agency. He believes that animation, with its unique ability to bring stories to life, is a powerful medium for addressing such issues.

He also noted that while Pakistan has a strong art culture, animation remains underdeveloped, questioning why more artists aren’t engaging in this modern field.

“Under the Blaze” will utilize traditional 2D animation techniques reminiscent of early Disney and DreamWorks classics, requiring artists to manually draw and paint each frame.

The film is currently in pre-production, with the storyboard and conceptual designs nearly completed.