Conflict photographer Kate Brooks’ powerful documentary The Last Animals was screened on Friday, November 23, at Xposure International Photography Festival, currently underway at Expo Centre Sharjah.
Driven by the fundamental belief that time is running out and we are at a critical moment in natural history, Brooks created a harrowing, yet essential, documentary that should make every single viewer stop and think about how our actions as humans are simply destroying the beautiful world in which we live.
Chronicling the killing of African elephants and rhinos, The Last Animals takes a critical look at the all-too-often unreported issues that are seriously threatening the single-digit population of Northern white rhinoceros. By outlining the many factors contributing to the current epidemic of highly effective poaching and trafficking syndicates, Brooks draws solid connections between the illegal wildlife trade and international terrorism and border security.
From Africa's front lines to behind the scenes of Asian markets, the film looks at the global response to this slaughter and the desperate measures to genetically rescue the Northern white rhinos, which are on the edge of extinction.
It is a sobering look at very big issues that – if solutions are not found soon, and fast – could see the end of Northern white rhinoceros on this planet, forever.
Offering some hope that all is not lost, Brooks documents the heroic efforts of conservationists, park rangers, and scientists to protect these animals on the verge of extinction and calls for worldwide attention and action to prevent the loss of these majestic creatures.
Brooks’ message is simple: it’s time that we as humans stop buying ivory.
A touching story about an extraordinary group of people who go to incredible lengths to save the planet’s last animals, The Last Animals is a film that everybody needs to see, before it is too late.
A world-renowned photographer, Brooks has chronicled conflict and human rights issues for nearly two decades. She first began working as a photographer in Russia while documenting child abuse in state orphanages. She has also covered the post 9/11 decade to the beginning of the Arab Spring; she is widely known for her extensive work across the Middle East and in Pakistan and Afghanistan. She is also a celebrated cinematographer, winning awards for her work on The Boxing Girls of Kabul documentaries. Her book A Photographer’s Journey After 9/11 was also selected by PDN as one of 2011’s best photography books. Kate was also awarded a 2012-13 Knight-Wallace Fellowship at the University of Michigan.
