His next film. Marble Ass, made in 1995, was the rare film in Socialist Europe that dealt openly and frankly with gay and trans sex workers. Žilnik depicted this hidden subculture as imbricated in a shadow war relief effort, through close contact with dangerous soldiers who returned home stunted by their experiences both emotionally and sexually. In some ways Marble Ass is the key exemplar of Žilnik’s vision of an independent, radical humanism communicated with honesty, courage, and political forthrightness. The film won the Teddy Award for best feature at the Berlin International Film Festival, which is given to outstanding works that highlight LGBT topics. Marble Ass marked Žilnik’s triumphant return to the international stage, and it remains one of the great successes that define his career. As Žilnik himself noted, ‘It was a greater success than Early Works in terms of publicity, speaking engagements for myself and so on.’