Bono receives emotional seven-minute standing ovation at Cannes premiere of documentary ‘Stories of Surrender’

The Cannes Film Festival witnessed a heartfelt moment on Friday evening as U2 frontman Bono premiered his new Apple documentary, Bono: Stories of Surrender, to a thunderous seven-minute standing ovation. 

The emotionally charged screening marked the world premiere of the film, based on the singer’s one-man stage show and memoir, Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story.

U2 frontman Bono left emotional after standing ovation at Cannes

The Irish rock icon grew visibly emotional as the applause echoed through the theatre. Once the crowd’s cheers began to soften, Bono took to the microphone, sharing a moment of humour and humility. “I’m not a Frenchman. I’m an Irishman. I’m not even a self-made man,” he began, drawing warm laughter from the audience. 

He went on to credit his longtime bandmates and collaborators. He said, “You wrote this story. The Edge wrote this story. Adam Clayton and Larry Mullen Jr. wrote this story. Paul McGuinness wrote this story.”

Though director Andrew Dominik was not present, Bono expressed deep gratitude for his creative vision. He said, “I love your vision. I can’t believe you got those performances out of me.”

The moment became even more poignant when Bono acknowledged actor and filmmaker Sean Penn, who was seated in the audience. “If I was in the trenches — like, real trenches, as opposed to ones on a movie set — I’d want to be with Sean Penn in those trenches. He was there for me. Thank you again,” Bono said. The U2 singer had contributed the song “Eden (To Find Love)” for Penn’s 2020 documentary, Citizen Penn.

About Stories of Surrender

Stories of Surrender offers an intimate look at Bono’s life, weaving personal reflections with live performances of iconic U2 tracks. The documentary captures the essence of a global rockstar who remains deeply grounded in family, faith, and friendship.

Bono, who has owned a home in the South of France since the 1990s, is no stranger to the Cannes spotlight. In 2007, U2 made waves at the festival with the premiere of their concert film U2 3D and an unforgettable performance on the Palais steps.

Bono: Stories of Surrender will be available on Apple TV+ later this year.