Film-makers attacked in Pakistan

Film-maker 'attacked by Taleban'

A film-maker from Greater Manchester fled Pakistan after his crew were attacked and shot at near the Afghanistan border.

David Whitney was in the middle of shooting Kandahar Break, a film about Taleban-rule in Afghanistan, when the team was attacked just outside Quetta.

The 31-year-old believes they came under Taleban fire. His crew were flown out of the country within 24 hours.

"Fortunately we all survived, but it was terrifying," Mr Whitney said.

[The film] has consumed two years of my life... at one point after the guys got shot we were pretty broken David Whitney, film-maker

The Horwich-born director landed in Manchester the day after the attack, relieved but disappointed he could not carry on filming.

"Four members of our crew were shot but they escaped without serious injury," he said.

"We were flown straight out of Quetta, landed in Islamabad and then onto Manchester.

"I was really disappointed though, we were at a crucial point in the filming."

With three-quarters of the production finished, Mr Whitney managed to get financial backing and ended up shooting the rest of it in Tunisia.

Having just finished filming, he has just returned to Manchester and the film is now in the post-production stage. He hopes to release it in July.

Based in Afghanistan in 1999, it follows the journey of four British mine experts working for the Taleban and what happens when one of them disobeys the strict regime.

Mr Whitney added: "It has consumed two years of my life, we all wanted to complete it, at one point after the guys got shot we were pretty broken, that almost finished us.

"But we managed it."