Merlinka
Merlinka | |
|---|---|
| Born | Vjeran Miladinović 1 October 1958 |
| Died | February 22, 2003 (aged 44) Belgrade, Serbia |
| Occupation | Actor |
Vjeran Miladinović (1 October 1958 - 22 February 2003), also known as Merlinka, was a transgender sex worker and actress best known for the 1995 film Marble Ass, directed by Želimir Žilnik. Merlika identified as both gay and a crossdresser,[1] and is believed to have been the first openly trans person in the Balkans.[2][3]
Life
[edit | edit source]Merlinka was born in Zagreb and during her childhood lived in an orphanage, was homeless, and lived with distant family. After high school, she came to live in Belgrade.[2]
In 1986, Merlinka participated in a public debate about homosexuality at the Belgrade Youth Center, one of the first such public debates on the subject in the region.[1] In the 1990s, she took part in Arkadija events.[4]
Merlinka had the leading[5] role in the 1995 movie Marble Ass directed by Želimir Žilnik.
Merlinka published an autobiography in 2001, named Teresa's son.[6][7] The title of the book references Merlinka's mother, Tereza Strmečki.[8]
Merlinka was murdered in Belgrade during the night of 22 March 2003, at the age of 43.[6] Her body was found a month later.[7] A suspect was arrested for her murder, but was later freed of charges.[7]
Legacy
[edit | edit source]In 2009, the Gay Lesbian Info Centre and Belgrade Youth Center founded the International Queer Film Festival Merlinka, named in Merlinka's honor.[6] In March 2013, the tenth anniversary of her death, the festival held a special program about Merlinka's life.[7]
In July 2013, a plaque honoring Merlinka was put up anonymously in Belgrade.[7]
References
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- ^ a b Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Marble Ass, Yugoslavia’s first openly queer film, turns 25. Here’s why you need to watch it — New East Digital Archive (new-east-archive.org)
- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- ^ Transgender in the Post-Yugoslav Space : Lives, Activisms, Culture, edited by Bojan Bili, et al
- ^ a b c Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
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- ^ Lua error in Module:Citation/CS1/Configuration at line 2172: attempt to index field '?' (a nil value).
- 1958 births
- 2003 deaths
- 2003 murders in Serbia
- 20th-century Croatian actresses
- 20th-century Croatian LGBTQ people
- 20th-century Serbian actresses
- 20th-century Serbian LGBTQ people
- 21st-century autobiographers
- 21st-century Croatian LGBTQ people
- 21st-century Croatian non-fiction writers
- 21st-century Croatian women writers
- 21st-century Serbian LGBTQ people
- 21st-century Serbian women writers
- 21st-century Serbian writers
- Actresses from Belgrade
- Actresses from Zagreb
- Croatian LGBTQ actors
- Croatian LGBTQ rights activists
- Croatian LGBTQ writers
- Murdered actors
- Murdered sex workers
- People murdered in Serbia
- Serbian autobiographers
- Serbian LGBTQ actors
- Serbian LGBTQ rights activists
- Serbian LGBTQ writers
- Serbian murder victims
- Serbian transgender women
- Serbian sex workers
- Transgender actresses
- Transgender women writers
- Women autobiographers
- Writers from Belgrade
- Writers from Zagreb