A rousing action drama set in 18th-century Ukraine about a legendary Robin Hood-like figure has struck a nerve in the country and become the breakout hit of the fall, with its themes of national self-determination and the struggle against invaders.
“Dovbush” has broken box office records and has been seen by more than half a million people and earned close to $2 million — a princely sum for Ukrainian cinema — making it the second-highest-grossing Ukrainian feature film since independence in 1991.
“It’s Ukraine’s ‘Braveheart,’ ” said Daniel Bilak, a Canadian living in Ukraine who is one of the movie’s producers and whose family came from Ukraine.