Paramount+ today announced that the critically acclaimed documentary Kiss the Future, which made its world premiere at the Berlin Film Festival and opened the Tribeca Festival in 2023, will premiere exclusively on the service in the U.S. and Canada on May 7. The documentary features interviews with Bono, The Edge, Adam Clayton, Christine Amanpour, Bill Clinton, and more.
Produced by Ben Affleck and Matt Damon for Artists Equity and Sarah Anthony, Kiss the Future was directed by Nenad Cicin-Sain and written by Bill S. Carter and Cicin-Sain. It is based on Carter’s memoir Fools Rush In.
The film tells a story of defiance amid the 1990s siege of Sarajevo during the Bosnian War, focusing on a vibrant, underground community that used art and music to affect change; a community that garnered global attention by ultimately inspiring an American aid worker to reach out to the band U2 to help raise awareness of the devastating conflict.
Kiss the Future follows the band’s promise to perform a post-war concert, which came to fruition when U2 played to more than 45,000 local fans in a liberated city, and is a show that lives on as a joyous collective memory for the people of Sarajevo.
“Even in the darkest of times, the people of Sarajevo were able to find purpose through playing music, making art, and helping others. They didn’t just survive – they thrived,” said Cicin-Sain.
“The powerful message of peace is as relevant and important today as it was in September 1997 when Bill Carter and Sarajevan community leaders brought U2 to post-war Sarajevo,” said Damon.
“Kiss the Future documents how, through superhuman acts of courage and creativity, the people of Sarajevo kept going while their city was under siege during the bloody Balkan civil war of the early 1990s,” said The Edge. “Their story of defiance and resistance against extreme nationalism couldn’t be more relevant today. To have been even a small part of this amazing story is a huge privilege.”
Matt Damon and Ben Affleck for Artists Equity and Sarah Anthony produced the film. Drew Vinton, Alan Moloney, Jennifer Pitcher, Madison Ainsley, Nenad Cicin-Sain, and Bill Carter are the executive producers.
The creative team includes editor Eric Bruton, sound designer Samir Foco, and sound mixer Ron Bartlett. The score is composed by Howie B.
FIFTH SEASON financed and produced Kiss the Future, along with Artists Equity and In Cahoots Productions. FIFTH SEASON is handling global distribution on the title.
Mirko Parlevliet has been reporting on the entertainment industry since 1998 and founded Vital Thrills in 2018 to cover the latest news on streaming, movies, TV, and video games.