Let’s talk about the year 2016. Merlinka ran for a week, showing documentaries and short movie marathons - a total of 56 movies from various countries worldwide, including nine domestic Serbian movies. In the meantime, she also opened her doors to a competition in graphic design, the winner of which would go on to be the official poster for that year’s festival, while the rest would be displayed at an exhibition to promote LGBT rights. It’s a fantastic opportunity for otherwise often overlooked communities to shine and showcase their goods.
In fact, let’s expand on that a bit. When compared to Europe and some other more advanced parts of the world, Serbia leaves a lot to be desired, especially where LGBTQI+ is concerned. Oh, there’s plenty of LGBT culture - but not enough positive representation and overall support, even though the Prime Minister is an openly gay woman. Pride parades and other similar events have struggled to happen since the very first one, often being protested against, postponed, canceled, or otherwise physically and verbally assaulted by far-right organizations. However, hope springs eternal, as they say. Things have been looking up lately. The parades have been more and more stable since 2014, and there has been growing support from and for the many LGBTQI+ organizations established throughout Serbia.
Merlinka, for example, has become a staple for the community, and the festival’s importance cannot be understated. And so, we entered the contest with our very own poster submission. The design was made to promote tolerance, inclusivity, equality, and LGBT rights in the Serbian society, and wider.
