'We're going to shoot film about your homeless for Afghan TV'

A group of young documentary makers from Afghanistan today told of their shock at seeing homelessness on the streets of London.

The four travelled to the capital to screen their films on the untold side of life in their country. Their image of London was based on what they had seen on television at home ­- rich footballers, royalty and Simon Cowell.

But after seeing people living on the streets, they were so moved they have decided to make a film about the issue which will be shown on Afghan TV as an untold story there.

One of the filmmakers, Mohammed Tamim Abdullah, 22, said: "In Afghanistan, we do not think that homelessness is something you would have in the Western world. We were shocked. We thought you have no problems, everyone has cars, everyone has nice houses. We thought it would be very interesting to look at this problem and to make this film."

Tamim and colleagues Massood Ziaee, 21, Airokhsh Faiz Qaisary, 20, and 17-year-old Sayed Suleiman Amanzad are in London to screen their short films at the Open City London Film Festival.

They show unseen sides of life in Afghanistan including the struggles of a woman taking her driving test in Kabul and how another was shunned by her family and friends after being mutilated in a Taliban attack.

James Blue, the executive producer of Afghan Voices, the organisation which helped them to make their films, said: "By bringing their films here, we're getting to see a side of Afghanistan we never see. And by making their film on homelessness in London, Afghans will get the chance to see a side of this country they never see."