Once There Was a Woman

The film focuses on the daily struggles of peasant life without depicting non-straight identities or narratives that challenge the assumption that everyone is straight. There is no specific representation of LGBTQ+ characters.

The narrative challenges traditional gender roles by centering a woman's ability to drive her own survival in a patriarchal society. She navigates the collapse of old social orders with resilience.

The cast is largely homogeneous, reflecting the demographic realities of rural Russia. However, the film challenges the dominance of the urban elite by focusing on the peasantry and their daily lives.

The film critiques traditional religious and state institutions as sources of instability. It portrays a transition from the Tsarist era to the early Soviet period through a secular lens.

Characters experience the physical toll of poverty and labor. However, there is no specific representation of neurodivergence or disability as a central identity.