can I override z-index inheritance from parent element?

Is there any way to override z-index inheritance from parent elements when using absolute position. I want 2222 div to be on top of 0000 div:

<div style="background-color:green; z-index:10; position:relative">
     OOOO
</div>

<div style="background-color:yellow; z-index:5; position:relative">
     1111
     <div style="position:absolute; background-color:red; 
                 z-index:15; top:-8px; left:20px">
         2222
     </div>
</div>

I can not change z-index of 0000 or 1111 divs and I am trying to position my 2222 element relative to 1111 element.

I believe z-index is relative to the nearest positioned element. So, if you had two divs inside the "1111" div, they could be z-index'd relative to each other, but since 2222 is a child of 1111, it cannot be z-indexed relative to 0000, and will always be above 1111.