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"To be honest I couldn't live anywhere else in the city," says Yacine Helali, who lives in the West End of Newcastle.

"I just feel at home here."

Yacine and his wife, Zofta, came to the UK from France in 2005 because they wanted to improve their English.

They'd never heard of Geordies before and Yacine says the local culture came as a complete surprise. But he soon saw parallels with Marseilles.

"Personally straight away I made a comparison between here and Marseilles, my city, because they're two ports and because there's a sort of laid-back attitude," he explains.

"Newcastle's not a big city and because of the economic crisis before I could see some parallels.

"Where I come from it's very diverse, there's a lot of local shops - I grew up in that, I was born in that, and I love the community feeling in the West End.

"It's not perfect, it has a lot of issues, but it's what I like."

Documentary

Yacine is a film-maker but also works for the Islamic Diversity Centre, a Newcastle-based charity that works to raise awareness about Islam and offer advice and guidance to organisations on issues of equality and diversity.

Filming on location in Newcastle city centre

The representation of Islam and Muslims in the media is something that concerns him and in 2008 he made a short film which he hoped would challenge negative perceptions of the Muslim community.

The eight-minute documentary was part of a community video project run by Northumbria University in 2008 and supported by the Higher Education Funding Council.

Media Production students and graduates from the university worked with members of Newcastle's ethnic minority community to help them put their lives on screen.

Yacine's film, entitled Down the Road, focuses on two men, both Muslims - Brian Mohammed Ibrahim Al Haji Jackson, who was born in Newcastle, and Mahee Menouar, who came to Newcastle from Algeria.

Mahee Menouar is in the film

It shows them playing an active role in the community, helping to keep children out of trouble, away from drugs and off the streets, by running football and boxing sessions.

"I wanted to do it on them because I respected them, I knew them, and I pray with them every day usually," Yacine explains.

"I wanted it to be real life and not a show business thing or fiction.

"Muslims are part of the community," he continues. "They do contribute to the community, whether they're footballers or boxers or coaches or businessmen or doctors or whatever job they do.

"They do contribute to society and you have to remember that - it's a fact."

Yacine says the film is the most personal he has ever made and he hopes it has an impact on those who see it.

Yacine was inspired by the West End

"I hope people who watch it get more positive about the Muslim community, they change their opinions.

"I hope that people really remember that we have things to share.

"Thanks to God we are all different. That's a very good thing - let's share."

Find out more about the Community Video Project on their website: