Bono’s Intimate Portrait Earns Seven-Minute Standing Ovation at Cannes
Andrew Dominik’s “Stories of Surrender” strips away the rock star persona for a vulnerable family tale
The Palais des Festivals erupted in sustained applause on last Friday night as Bono received a seven-minute standing ovation following the world premiere of “Bono: Stories of Surrender,” Andrew Dominik’s intimate documentary that premiered in Cannes’ Special Screenings section. In a striking black-and-white presentation that runs just 86 minutes, the film offers an unexpectedly vulnerable portrait of the U2 frontman, proving that spending an hour and a half with one of rock’s most polarising figures might not be the endurance test some critics anticipated.
From the Beacon to the Big Screen
“Stories of Surrender” transforms Bono’s 2023 one-man show at New York’s Beacon Theatre into something more cinematically ambitious than a simple concert film. Directed by Andrew Dominik, the Australian filmmaker behind “The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford” and Nick Cave documentaries “One More Time with Feeling,” the film weaves stripped-down performances of U2’s biggest hits with deeply personal reflections on family, loss, and identity.
The documentary opens with Bono recounting a near-death experience in 2016 when doctors discovered a blister on his aortic valve. “How did I get here?” becomes the central question driving the narrative, as the film traces his journey from Dublin teenager Paul Hewson to global rock icon through the lens of his most formative relationships.
A Family Story at Its Core
Rather than dwelling on U2’s legendary live shows or the excesses of rock stardom, Dominik’s approach focuses squarely on the personal. The film explores Bono’s relationship with his late mother Iris, whose death left what he describes as “a hole in his heart,” and his complicated dynamic with his father Bob, who withdrew after his wife’s passing and never mentioned her again in their Dublin home.
“I had to dig quite deep and just go for a family story,” Bono told Deadline ahead of the premiere. The documentary reveals how, within one transformative week at age 16, the young Bono found both his future wife Ali and his bandmates Dave Evans (The Edge), Larry Mullen Jr., and Adam Clayton – essentially discovering the family that would sustain him through life.
Dominik’s direction proves particularly effective during moments when Bono performs emotionally charged versions of songs like “Pride,” “Desire,” “With or Without You,” and “Sunday Bloody Sunday,” each tied to specific memories and relationships that shaped his worldview.
Technical Innovation Meets Emotional Intimacy
The film represents a significant technological milestone for Apple, serving as the flagship project for their Apple Vision Pro immersive platform. Shot using Apple’s Immersive Video technology, “Stories of Surrender” will be available both as a traditional film on Apple TV+ and as an immersive experience on Vision Pro starting May 30.
“Shooting in Apple Immersive Video made the film really playful,” Bono explained, praising Apple’s commitment to innovation despite the platform’s current accessibility limitations. “They know not everyone can afford this, but they’re still going for it, believing that some way down the line, it’ll make financial sense for them.”
Critical Reception and Industry Impact
The Cannes audience’s enthusiastic response suggests that Dominik has successfully navigated the challenge of making Bono’s well-documented persona feel fresh and authentic. Journalists who attended the screening noted that the singer “came across as frank and owned what people are telling about him,” displaying a level of self-awareness that has sometimes been missing from his public appearances.
However, critical reception has been mixed. While some reviewers praised the film’s intimate moments and Dominik’s visual approach, others found it lacking the depth of the director’s previous music documentaries. Critics noted that unlike Nick Cave, who was processing grief over his son’s death, or other aging rock stars confronting mortality, Bono appears to be primarily promoting his memoir and tour rather than undergoing genuine introspection.
Emotional Vulnerability on Display
The film’s most powerful moments come when Bono drops his public persona entirely. Dominik pushed the singer through multiple takes of emotionally challenging scenes, including one where Bono says goodbye to his father. “Andrew drove me mad, though some people say I was there already. Asking me to say goodbye to my father, five times in one day we did that scene… I was in bits,” Bono recalled.
During the Cannes premiere, the rock star became visibly emotional during the standing ovation, opening his subsequent speech with characteristic humility: “I’m not a Frenchman. I’m an Irishman. I’m not even a self-made man. You wrote this story. The Edge wrote this story. Adam [Clayton] and Larry [Mullen Jr.] wrote this story.”
Production Pedigree
The documentary comes from heavyweight producers including RadicalMedia’s Jon Kamen and Dave Sirulnick (known for “Summer of Soul,” “Hamilton,” and “David Byrne’s American Utopia”) alongside Brad Pitt’s Plan B Entertainment. This marks another high-profile Apple original following successful documentaries about Fleetwood Mac, Billie Eilish, and Michael J. Fox.
Cannes Connection
Bono’s appearance at Cannes felt like a homecoming of sorts. The singer has owned a residence in the south of France since the 1990s, and U2 previously premiered their concert film “U2 3D” at the festival in 2007, complete with an iconic performance on the Palais steps. His family, including wife Ali Hewson and children Jordan and Elijah, joined him for the premiere, alongside The Edge and celebrity friends including Sean Penn and Amal Clooney.
Looking Forward
“Stories of Surrender” represents both a culmination of Bono’s long relationship with Apple – dating back to convincing Steve Jobs to create a U2-loaded iPod – and a new chapter in his artistic evolution. At 64, the singer appears ready to confront his legacy with unprecedented honesty, even if some critics find his introspection still filtered through layers of rock star mythology.
Whether the film succeeds as genuine soul-searching or sophisticated self-promotion may depend largely on viewer expectations. What’s undeniable is Dominik’s ability to create visually striking cinema from intimate performance, and Apple’s continued commitment to pushing the boundaries of immersive entertainment technology.
For Bono, who acknowledged director Dominik during his Cannes speech despite the filmmaker’s absence, the project represents a willingness to be directed rather than simply perform. “I love your vision,” he told the absent director. “I can’t believe you got those performances out of me.”
“Bono: Stories of Surrender” begins streaming globally on Apple TV+ on May 30, with the immersive version available simultaneously on Apple Vision Pro.
Editor in Chief of Ikon London Magazine, journalist, film producer and founder of The DAFTA Film Awards (The DAFTAs).
