Q&A: ISIL, the Taliban and the battle for the Khorasan

In ISIL and the Taliban , filmmaker Najibullah Quraishi gained exclusive access to the central leadership of the Afghan chapter of the Islamic State of Iraq

and the Levant (ISIL).

Exploring the rise of the nascent group and offering a close-up look at ISIL and its relationship with the Taliban, Najibullah was embedded with an ISIL unit, following them as they governed territory under their control.

Najibullah Quraishi talks to Al Jazeera about his film and the themes it explores.

Al Jazeera: You were able to get access to both the Afghan chapter of ISIL and the Taliban for this film. Can you explain a little about how you were able to get that access and what it entailed?

Najibullah Quraishi:  I have been covering the war in Afghanistan since 2001 and have established good contacts with different groups and networks from across the country.

But gaining access to film ISIL and the Taliban was difficult. Whilst it's easy to embed with the Afghan army or police, it took over eight months, and the help of some elders, for them to finally to allow me to film with them.