Soviet hero's biopic aims to unite rivals 'for 2 hours'

A Russian-Ukrainian film about a legendary Soviet sniper nicknamed "Lady Death" is aiming to be a hit on the silver screen in both nations, despite the crisis that has turned the former allies against each other.

Titled Battle for Sevastopol in Russia but Indestructible across the border in Ukraine, the movie - about a female sharpshooter who reportedly killed more than 300 German troops - is a coproduction between the two countries made just before relations nose-dived.

Despite the freeze in ties between the former Soviet republics that has seen Ukraine ban a slew of modern Russian films, the $5 million movie was launched last week with glitzy gala premieres in both Moscow and Kiev.