spent with Mir and his family in the caves - it is an extraordinary place, with extraordinary people.

12. What, for you, is the purpose of the film?

There are two: first I want as many people as possible to get a sense of what Mir's life is like. I want people to engage with him and identify with his youthful exuberance and excitement. The similarities between people of different nations far exceed the differences. Too often I fear people forget this. Next time we read of an accidental attack on civilians in Afghanistan or indeed anywhere, I want people to think, even for a split second, of Mir, Abdul, Mirwari, Khoshdel and Deljam. People like them are the real casualties of war, terrorism and greed. A second, more self-centred objective is to make as strong a film as possible to add my filmic voice to the call for an increase in production and distribution of feature length documentaries. Television as it stands is doing an increasingly poor job in reflecting and interpreting the world - and, for the most powerful medium in the world, that to me is an abdication of responsibility for which we will all ultimately suffer.