Sonja Savic: found dead on a dirty mattress, aged 47
The celebrated Yugoslav actress (born 15 Sept 1961) was discovered on 23 Sept 2008 in an almost empty apartment; her career and last public statements are examined.
Sonja Savic, a prominent actress of Yugoslav and Serbian cinema, was born on 15 September 1961 and died on 23 September 2008 at the age of 47. Her career spanned more than four decades and included over 40 roles in films and television series that made her a lasting figure of the 1980s generation.
She first rose to wide recognition with the 1983 film Šećerna vodica, a performance that earned her the Golden Arena in Pula. Over the years she appeared in notable titles such as Davitelj protiv davitelja, Una, Balkanski špijun, Životot e ubav and Mi nismo anđeli, building a reputation for authenticity and a rebellious screen persona.
Tragic final discovery
On 23 September 2008 Savic was found dead in her apartment. Police reports describe the flat as nearly empty and the actress’s body lying on an old, dirty mattress surrounded by syringes. She was 47.
Throughout her life Savic spoke openly about drugs and social change. In one interview she said: "I did not use drugs, except in company where they were consumed together with alcohol. Only cannabis can take me to some higher spheres, to open me to a celebratory feeling for this poor and wretched world. Here the garbage of drugs is being pushed as a trend." In the same conversation she attributed the spread of narcotics in the 1990s to wartime dynamics: "For drugs you need money. Look who is yellow and who is white. That can be seen on the face of every addict, but people like to listen to the police. Drug addiction across Serbia was engineered during the war. The weekend-warriors brought it. They were given drugs to forget their fear and go on the offensive. But when they returned to the city, they began to sell it." She also claimed that "children of failed soldiers and policemen" were among those selling substances.
Savic’s greatest personal relationship was with jazz pianist Vlajko Lalic, whom she met as a teenager. Lalic died in 1990 after drowning during a storm while boating; Savic later described herself as having felt like a widow from age 29. Her family home was intended, according to her mother’s will, to be turned into a museum, but relatives contested that wish in court and the fate of many personal belongings remains unclear.
Photo: press material from the event
