The annual Sarajevo Film Festival opened with a documentary about the close relationships that developed between rock musicians in Sarajevo and the Irish rock band U2 during the siege of the Bosnian capital from 1992 to 1995, attended by Bono and The Edge, members of U2. Founded by a group of cinema lovers before the end of the Bosnian War, the Sarajevo Film Festival has become the largest event of its kind in Southeast Europe, showcasing 235 films this year.
The film "Kiss the Future," produced by Hollywood stars Matt Damon and Ben Affleck, depicts the determination of young musicians in Sarajevo to find an escape from the horrors of war by holding rock concerts in the basement of the Academy of Performing Arts. U2, one of the world's most famous bands at the time, joined these efforts after being convinced by a relief worker to establish live satellite links with Sarajevo during their European tour in 1993.
Following the end of the Bosnian War in 1997, U2 held a massive concert in Sarajevo, where Bono encouraged the audience to "kiss the future." The basement of the academy also served as an improvised cinema during the war, screening films that were smuggled into the city by foreign visitors, with news of the screenings spread verbally. To ensure the safety of the cinema-goers, the organizers dug a hole in the wall so that the audience could enter the basement without the risk of sniper fire.
Mirsad Burivatra, one of the founders of both war-time cinema and the Sarajevo Film Festival, said, "Culture was one of the most important things that gave us the ability to get through that time." He described how people would gather in the basement for cultural events and meet friends, rushing home before curfew.
