In late 1996 Žilnik took part in the huge civil protests against nationalism and war in Belgrade, and he made the short documentary Throwing off the Yolks of Bondage, which circulated throughout the region as the first dispatch on what was going on during the 80 days of protests. His last film in this decade is Fortress Europe, shot in 1999. The film follows a group of Eastern Europeans fleeing from collapsed socialist economies toward the West in search of work.