David Thewlis talks about his character in The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas.

He said it was a challenge as his character was split down the middle - being a loving father and a mass murderer at the same time.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is a controversial film about a friendship between the son of a Nazi, played by Thewlis, and a Jewish boy.

Adapted from John Boyne's best-selling novel, it is directed by Mark Herman, whose previous films include Brassed Off and Little Voice, and produced by David Heyman, whose credits include Harry Potter.

The story is seen through the eyes of an eight-year-old boy largely shielded from the reality of the Second World War.

It follows an unlikely friendship that forms between Bruno, the son of a Nazi commandant, and Shmuel, a Jewish boy held captive in a concentration camp.

The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas is out in cinemas this week.

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