In 2015, director Julien Hayet-Kerknawi created a short movie, A Broken Man, which followed the tragic tale of a simple farmer whose family is swept into the perils of World War I. Nine years later, he rewrote and expanded this concept into a feature-length movie, The Last Front. Set in Belgium during the invasion of the German army in an event now known as the "Rape of Belgium," The Last Front follows widowed farmer Leonard (Iain Glen), and his children, including his son Adrian (James Downie). Adrien and his father are at odds over Adrian's love interest, the cloistered and wealthy neighbor Louise (Sasha Luss). However, father and son must reconcile right as danger reaches their doorstep with devastating results.

In this exclusive interview with Cbr, director Julien Hayet-Kerknawi and actor James Downie discuss their previous works, their surprisingly nuanced depiction of WWI, their experiences on short films vs. television, and...