A new film interpretation of the life and activities of Bulgarian national hero Vasil Levski is to be released in Bulgaria on Monday.

The premiere of the two-part movie entitled Dyakon Levski will be at the National Palace of Culture at 7 pm.

Levski was a historic figure of tremendous importance for the freedom movement in Bulgaria in the late 19th century, while the country was still a part of the Ottoman Empire.

He was captured and hanged close to Sofia in 1873 but his bravery inspired the masses and eventually Bulgaria managed to secure its freedom during the Russo-Turkish War of 1878.

Often called the Apostle of Freedom, Levski will come to life on screen in a way he has never been portrayed before, in the words of director Maxim Genchev. He added that the genre can be described as a mixture of action and thriller.

Veselin Plachkov and Simeon Filipov were selected to play the main role in the film, depicting him at different ages.

The film has been shot in 40 locations across the country, including the historical regions of Vidin, Veliko Tarnovo, Koprivshtitsa, and a number of medieval monasteries.

The crew consisted of 250 people and the mass scenes involved over 500 stunts.