Sarajevo Open Center will host for the fourth time in January 29th and 30th the International Queer Film Festival “Merlinka”. With the aim to promote LGBTI themed films and with seven previous festivals having taken place in Belgrade, this year’s organizers have decided to host premiere movies and to prolong the event to two days. Additionally two performances; Merlinka’s Confession monodrama and the “Le Zbor” choir from Croatia will enrich this years’ Festival along with a party which will be joined by regional super star Sonja Sajzor. The events will take place at the capital’s Art Cinema Kriterion.
The Festival will feature international and regional films and documentaries such as the film Appropriate behaviour, with a focus on the emotional-erotic relations of bisexual Shirin, the documentary film The mask you live in, investigating masculinities as a concept and the norms connected to the stereotypical ideal of men, Montenegrin film Strawberries following the troubled life of an isolated couple, Serbian movie Just be safe and sound, observing issues around parenthood, relations between parents and children, parents and LGBT children, US/Serbian film Like other girls do, a film about the old Balkan tradition of young women changing their gender in order to maintain their families’ homes and properties as well as Latin American award winning documentary The new man, an intense and strong depiction of trans* Stephanie Mirza’s life.
During the festival’s first day the audience will be able to see the recording of hit performance piece Merlinka’s confession. This is a monodrama based on the autobiography of Vjeran Miladinović Merlinka, “Theresa’s son”, published in Belgrade in 2002. Merlinka was tragiacally killed in Belgrade on March 2003. Twelve years later Merlinka Festival produced the performance which first premiered in Belgrade on January 2014.
Special guests of the Festival will also be members of Croatian lesbian-feminist choir “Le Zbor” which has been formed out of the desire to encourage and promote lesbian-feminist socio-cultural visibility. Their performance with be the grand opening to the Merlinka Party which will also be joined by regional super star Sonja Sajzor.