Matt Damon reveals how U2 joined 'Kiss the Future' war documentary on Bosnia

Despite initial reluctance, U2 embraced their part in showcasing Sarajevo's resilience through music and art.

Matt Damon has shared details of the situation in which Irish rock band U2 joined the 'Kiss the Future' war documentary on Bosnia.

 

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck's documentary, Kiss the Future, sheds light on the resilience of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War and the thriving arts scene that emerged amid the violence.

 

Damon, who co-produced the film alongside Affleck, explained that the band was initially hesitant to attach their name to the project.

 

"I went to them right away and told them about this project and asked if they'd participate and they were reluctant at first," Damon told People magazine. "And I talked to them and realised why — they didn't want the movie to be about them. They were like, 'We don't want to be centered in this story.'"

 

Damon and director Nenad Cicin-Sain assured U2 that the film's real focus would be on "these incredible Sarajevan people and their relationship to U2's music."

 

"Kiss the Future" documents the lives of Sarajevans during the siege and how American aid worker Bill Carter connected with U2 to raise global awareness about the conflict.

 

Inspired by how Sarajevans leaned on the band's music for solace, U2 ultimately performed a concert in Sarajevo in 1997 after the war ended.

 

Damon emphasized that the documentary is about "the role of art as an act of resistance in the world and in people's lives," adding, "these incredible people who literally were risking their lives to go listen to music or to play music in the middle of the siege."

 

Director Cicin-Sain, who has roots in the former Yugoslavia, was inspired to create "Kiss the Future" after witnessing a 2017 Sarajevo concert marking the 20th anniversary of U2's 1996 performance.

 

He reflected, "I saw the concert as a way to share what happened in my country."