On the 9th of January in 1968 TV Zagreb screened a short documentary film titled as “Devaluation of a smile”. The documentary was dedicated to Arif Heralikj, a miner who decorated the 10 Dinar bill in the times of former Yugoslavia. What many don’t know is the fact that Arif never gave his permission to use the picture and to print it on a bill, and an even less known fact is that many people don’t know his name, and also that he was of Roma nationality, he was often confused with Alija Sirotanovikj.
Heralikj raised his voice against the state and demanded compensation which he never got. He passed away in poverty and poor mental health which was the result of his fierce clash with the state.
This documentary was screened just once on TV and never again due to pressure from the state which claimed that the screening was a mistake, and the editor of the film program quit his position right after the screening of the film.
