After Croatia declared its independence in 1991, the Erdut Agreement finally brought an end to the Croatian War which lasted almost four years. There was and is discrimination against homosexuals in many of the former Eastern Block countries. The first Gay Pride parades took place in Belgrade and Zagreb in 2001 and 2002. Around 300 activists and official representatives of the government took part. However, there were violent clashes between the parade-goers and organized neo-Nazis and others who were against those taking part and anyone who sympathized with the cause. One half of the screen of 'East Side Story' shows documentary footage of the outbreaks of extreme anger and violence. On the other half of the screen, dance theatre performers can be seen imitating these outbreaks of hatred, with a slight time delay, at the same locations in Zagreb a couple of years later. Although the Croatian state strengthened the legal rights of homosexuals in 2003, there were outbreaks of extreme violence against those taking part in a Gay Parade in Split as recent as 2011.
'East Side Story' received the T-HT Award from T-Hrvatski Telekom in 2010. The prize is awarded in conjunction with the Museum of Contemporary Art in Zagreb.