Brooke transports viewers to a Pakistan brick kiln with 360° VR film
Brooke’s popular 360° VR film following a young couple living and working at a Pakistan brick kiln is now available to watch on YouTube for the first time, after a string of appearances at events including the World Equestrian Games, the London Olympia Horse Show, and Supporter Day.
The film, which was captured in July 2018 with The Progress Film Company and Visualise, takes the viewer on a journey through a day in the life of a brick kiln worker and his family. Brick kilns are some of the most extreme working environments on earth, with uneven terrain and high temperatures. Waqas and Tayyba live and work on the site of the kiln with their baby, Sania Fatima and their nine year old horse, Raju. They are one of 50 families employed to produce 45,000 – 50,000 bricks per day at this site. The film follows them as they work to fulfil their targets whilst trying not to overload their horse and keep him hydrated.
To celebrate the launch of the film on YouTube, Brooke has also teamed up with Youth Ambassador This Esme to shoot a 360° video for her channel, featuring her own cut of the film to share with her viewers.
She said: “I’m really pleased to have the opportunity to take my viewers on a journey through a real-life brick kiln in Pakistan, via the wonders of 360° technology. The harsh conditions facing working animals in settings like this are unimaginable, especially when I compare their lives with those of my own animals. Having visited Brooke’s work in Senegal last year, I was able to see the amazing progress that’s being made in bringing about positive change for working animals and their owners and can’t wait to see what the future holds.”
The brick kiln industry in South Asia is vast, with approximately 152,700 active kilns across the region. These kilns employ over 16 million people and 500,000 animals to make more than a fifth (21%) of the world’s bricks.
Brooke, which is currently active in 8483 brick kilns, takes a One Health approach that recognises the links between human, animal and environmental health and how each has an impact on the others. For example, in Pakistan, Brooke has been working with the government and the Brick Kiln Association to plant trees at kilns to address pollution and land degradation. These trees include fruit and shade species and will not only reduce carbon footprints, but also provide shade and shelter to the working animals and their owners.
To view the film on your phone or computer, head to Brooke’s YouTube channel and move the screen around as instructed to follow along.