Oldham film-maker speaks to a homeless man as he hopes to put borough on the map with bold new content

Tucked away in a quiet area of Greenacres is Oldham-born filmmaker, Abdul Rouf who hopes to put his hometown on the map by confronting controversial issues through digital media.

Known as Rayhan, the father-of-three, who owns Digital Beats Films, said his love for producing content developed from a very young age. 

He has recently produced a heart-wrenching video of a homeless man, who has no contact with his family, and lives outside the Asda store on Huddersfield Road in Oldham.  

Rayhan explained: “I saw the man and started chatting to him. I saw him as a normal guy, and I got to talk to him about his life and background. 

“I decided to create a video in which the man, named Chris talks about his life, emotions and regrets. I have sent the video to the Mayor of Greater Manchester, Andy Burnham, and to some of the council officials to raise awareness of the struggles of homeless people.  

Pictured above: Chris talks about his plight in the film.

“I am also trying to get charities involved to create more awareness of the issue. Before I created the video on Chris, who didn’t want to give his second name, I realised that no one had done it, that’s why I did it.” 

The 39-year-old said: “This documentary shows that homeless people are also human. People walk past them, completely oblivious to them.” 

Rayhan, a graduate in Independent Film-making, explained that film-making to him was empowerment and it gives him a chance to tell the story from his perspective. 

He has already created five short films and is hoping young people will be inspired to take up the profession. 

Pictured above: Chris outside the Asda store.

Rayhan added: “We have many wedding videographers but very few who are tackling controversial issues or putting the town on the map.  

“The other film I have produced is about sickle cell disease, commissioned by the NHS. I presented the video to them to help them raise more awareness during presentations. They absolutely loved it.  

“They said the video was on point and sent out a clear message.  We know that this disease primarily affects people in the black community, and Become United, a charity in Rochdale led by Black Minority Ethnic (BME) People, said it was better than they expected.” 

Rayhan, who has been producing films for the past ten years, added: “I am not afraid to capture the truth and there’s a lot of issues affecting our town. I work independently and I am not affiliated with any third parties. 

“I have created a debut film on men’s mental health, suicide and depression, but I haven’t released it yet. It is something I am looking to do soon.” 

Watch Chris' full interview with Abdul here: