- March 17, 2026
- 4:51 pm
- Israel
In Israel, there will be a special presentation of the new Ukrainian feature film “Mavka. The True Myth” — a large-scale romantic fantasy created by the team that brought the world the animated phenomenon “Mavka. The Forest Song”.
The film will bring to Israeli screens for the first time a live version of the Ukrainian myth — a mystical story of love, nature, and ancient legends coming to life in the modern world.
The screenings will take place in two cities and will become a cultural event for the Ukrainian community, Israeli viewers, and everyone interested in new Eastern European cinema.
When and where the film screenings will take place in Israel
📍 March 18, 2026 — Tel Aviv, Enis Auditorium
📍 March 19, 2026 — Haifa, Planet
Event format — public film screening and project presentation.
Film duration — about 90 minutes.
Age restriction — 12+.
Ticket information will be announced additionally.
The organizer of the international screenings is the initiative Created in Ukraine / Знято в Україні, promoting modern Ukrainian cinema in Israel.
A story where Ukrainian mythology meets modernity
The plot takes viewers to an alternative present among the ancient forests of Ukraine — a space where the boundary between reality and myth almost disappears.
At the center of the story is the Dark Lake, a mystical place where mavkas and mermaids live. Once every four years, they come into the human world to take the life force of people and sustain the existence of their world.
But everything changes when one of the mavkas breaks the main law.
She falls in love.
Mavka meets a biology student Lukyan, who, along with a scientific expedition, finds himself in the dangerous zone of ancient legends. Between them arises a feeling capable of disrupting the balance between the two worlds — and provoking resistance from the mythical creatures themselves.
The story is built around forbidden love, choice, and the clash of nature with human logic.
It is such projects that today shape the new face of Ukrainian cinema.
Amid international interest in Ukrainian culture, such events increasingly become a reason to talk about cultural diplomacy — as regularly written by NAnews — Israel News | Nikk.Agency, tracking the development of ties between Ukraine and Israel through art, society, and cinema.
Who created the film “Mavka. The True Myth”
The production of the film is handled by one of the largest studios in Eastern Europe — FILM.UA Group.
Director: Kateryna Tsarik
Producers: Iryna Kostyuk, Anna Yeliseyeva
Executive Producer: Sasha Lozynska
Screenplay: Yaroslav Voytsekhek
Cinematographer: Yuriy Korol
The main roles were played by young actors of the new generation:
- Arina Bocharova — Mavka
- Ivan Dovzhenko — Lukyan
- Vyacheslav Dovzhenko — head of the expedition
The creators consciously refused star casting, betting on the new wave of Ukrainian cinema actors.
Filming among real forests and water
The film was shot in the summer of 2025 at natural locations in Ukraine:
- Holosiivskyi Forest
- Zhukiv Island
- Pyrohiv Museum
- Korostyshiv Canyon
- special underwater platforms FILM.UA
The project became one of the most technically complex for the studio:
29 shooting days, 17 of which were night, underwater scenes, artificial waterfalls, and large-scale visual effects.
The film’s budget was about 1 million dollars, with the film being created mainly on private investments — a rare case for the Ukrainian film market during the war.
Why this premiere is important for Israel
The screenings of “Mavka” in Tel Aviv and Haifa are not just a movie session.
It is part of a cultural dialogue between countries, where Ukrainian culture is increasingly present in the Israeli public space — through festivals, music, theater, and now major film premieres.
The film unites several audiences at once:
- Ukrainians in Israel,
- Israeli viewers,
- fantasy fans,
- lovers of European auteur cinema.
And, perhaps for the first time, Ukrainian mythology will be shown to the Israeli audience on such a scale.
Tickets
Ticket information will be announced additionally.
Follow the organizers’ page
https://www.facebook.com/events/1396681928389718/
Stay tuned for updates — the premiere promises to become one of the most notable Ukrainian cultural events of the spring in Israel.