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Something Better to Come

Name: Something Better to Come
Director: Hanna Polak
Released: 2014
Duration: 97 min

Representation Score

8.8/10

Excellent

2014

Director

Hanna Polak

Runtime

97 minutes

Average Rating

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New Showbiz Analysis

Hanna Polak’s long-term study offers a nuanced look at human dignity within the Svalka junkyard. By focusing on Yula, the film challenges traditional poverty clichés, emphasizing women's ability to drive the story and intellectual willpower over victimhood. The documentary excels at critiquing systemic issues, contrasting Moscow’s billionaires with junkyard residents to challenge capitalist hierarchies. It elevates the voices of those on society’s margins. However, the film lacks specific focus on LGBTQ+ identities or explicit disability narratives. While it captures the struggle for survival, these specific demographic representations are secondary to broader socioeconomic themes.

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Category Breakdown

Does Something Better to Come have LGBTQ+ representation?

Fair

The film focuses on socioeconomic survival rather than specific LGBTQ+ stories. It highlights human connections within a underrepresented community but does not emphasize LGBTQ+ identities.

How does Something Better to Come portray gender?

Good

Yula is a strong female protagonist whose actions drive the story. She challenges patriarchal violence and mafia influence through her resilience and intellect.

How racially and ethnically diverse is Something Better to Come?

Good

The film examines identity through social stratification in Russia. It highlights the 'outsider' status of residents living on the outskirts of the state.

How does Something Better to Come represent religion and culture?

Excellent

The documentary critiques capitalist structures by showing extreme wealth alongside extreme poverty. It finds humanity in a space usually dismissed by mainstream society.

Does Something Better to Come include disability representation?

Fair

The film captures the physical and psychological impact of living in an industrial wasteland. It portrays systemic trauma with dignity, avoiding the spectacle of suffering.

Present on Screen

Strong female protagonist pursuing self-actualization.
Critique of systemic inequality and unchecked capitalism.
Nuanced portrayal of human dignity within underrepresented communities.

Limited or Absent

Lack of explicit focus on LGBTQ+ identities.
Limited representation of disability or neurodiversity.

Official Synopsis

Right outside of Moscow – home to the highest number of billionaires pr. capita – you’ll find the largest junkyard in the world: The Svalka. It’s a hard place run by the Russian mafia. And it's where Yula lives with her mother, her friends and many other people. Life is tough in the Svalka, but it’s also a place where beauty and humanity can arise from the most unlikely conditions. It is from this place that Yula dreams of escaping and changing her life, even if it seems impossible. Oscar-nominated director Hanna Polak followed Yula for 14 years, bringing us along on Yula's journey to achieve this dream.

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