Bono Rocks Cannes With 7-Minute Standing Ovation for ‘Stories of Surrender’

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On Friday evening, Bono attended the global debut of his latest Apple documentary, “Bono: Tales of Submission,” at the Cannes Film Festival. The event concluded with a prolonged 7-minute standing ovation in his honor after the presentation.

During the extended standing ovation, Bono became visibly moved. Once the clapping started to subside, he started his speech with a few heartfelt remarks and pledged to fluently speak French by the next year.

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The prolonged applause left Bono quite emotional. As the crowd’s clapping began to decrease, he launched into his speech with some initial comments and a vow to master the French language fully by the following year.

Bono clarified to the audience, ‘I’m not French nor self-made, but Irish. This story wasn’t written by me alone; it was penned by The Edge, Adam [Clayton], Larry [Mullen Jr.], and our manager, Paul McGuinness.’

At a certain moment, Bono paid tribute to actor and director Sean Penn, who was present, by stating, “In a genuine battlefield instead of one on a film set, I’d prefer to fight alongside Sean Penn. He stood by me, and for that, I’m grateful once more.” (Bono sang the song “Eden (To Find Love)” for the soundtrack of Penn’s 2020 documentary “Citizen Penn.”)

The movie directed by Andrew Dominik follows U2’s lead singer in his solo performance titled after the same name. This performance is inspired by his best-selling memoir “Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story” and its corresponding tour. As suggested by its tagline, the documentary offers a glimpse into an extraordinary life, revealing the family, friends, and faith that have both tested and supported him. It shares intimate tales about Bono’s experiences as a son, father, spouse, activist, and rockstar. Moreover, it showcases unseen footage from the Beacon Theatre concerts and features Bono singing many of U2’s legendary songs that have influenced his life and career.

Bono receives a standing ovation at Cannes for his “Stories of Surrender” documentary.

— EbMaster (@EbMaster) May 16, 2025

Bono has been a frequent visitor to Cannes for many years, as he’s owned a home in the south of France since the ’90s. Additionally, U2 unveiled their concert film, “U2 3D,” during a late-night showing at the festival back in 2007. Before this screening, they put on an unforgettable performance on the steps of the Palais.

The production “Bono: Stories of Surrender” originates from RadicalMedia and Plan B Entertainment, with Jon Kamen and Dave Sirulnick of RadicalMedia, as well as Brad Pitt, Dede Gardner, and Jeremy Kleiner from Plan B, serving as producers. Additionally, Bono is an executive producer along with Jennifer Pitcher and Kelly McNamara.

Jon Kamen and Dave Sirulnick, along with Bono, Jennifer Pitcher, and Kelly McNamara, are the producers of the project. This group has worked on notable productions such as “Summer of Soul,” “Hamilton,” “David Byrne’s American Utopia,” and Academy Award-winning films like “Moonlight” and “12 Years a Slave.” Brad Pitt, along with Dede Gardner and Jeremy Kleiner from Plan B Entertainment, are also involved in the production of this project. Their recent works include upcoming projects such as “F1” and previous works like “Moonlight” and “12 Years a Slave.

“Bono: Stories of Surrender” will premiere on Apple TV+ on May 30.

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2025-05-17 01:46