‘The world has never been closer to a world war in my lifetime’ – Winnipeg Free Press

CANNES, France (AP) — Cannes is a brief journey from Bono’s seaside villa in Eze-sur-Mer. He purchased it with The Edge in 1993, and considers himself grateful to a shoreline that, he says, gave him a “delayed adolescence.”

“I can tell you I’ve slept on beaches close to here,” Bono says with a smile. “I’ve woken up in the sun.”

However that doesn’t imply the Cannes Movie Competition is a very acquainted expertise for the U2 frontman. He’s right here to premiere the Apple TV+ documentary “Bono: Stories of Surrender,” which captures his one-man stage present. Earlier than coming, Bono’s daughter, the actor Eve Hewson, gave him some recommendation.

“She said: ‘Just get over yourself and bring it,’” Bono stated in an interview on a lodge off the Croisette. “What do I have to bring? Bring yourself and your gratitude that you’re a musician and they’re allowing you into a festival that celebrates actors and storytellers of a different kind. I said, ‘OK, I’ll try to bring it.’”

Moreover, Cannes, he notes, was based amid World Struggle II as an alternative choice to then-Mussolini managed Venice Movie Competition. It was, he says, “designed to find fascists.”

Shifts in geopolitical tectonics was a lot on Bono’s thoughts. He has spent a lot of his activist life preventing for assist to Africa and combating HIV-AIDS. U.S. President Donald Trump’s dismantling of USAID has reversed a lot of that.

“What’s irrational is taking pleasure in the defacement of these institutions of mercy,” Bono stated.

“Bono: Stories of Surrender,” an Andrew Dominik-directed black-and-white movie that begins streaming Could 30, adapts the one-man stage present that, in flip, got here from Bono’s 2022 e-book, “Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story.”

Within the movie, Bono is self-effacing and reflective, sifting by the formative affect of his father, U2’s skyrocketing to fame and contemplating how ego and social work could be associated. He calls it “the tall tales of a short rock star.” And as was the case on a latest sunny afternoon in Cannes, Bono makes a charming raconteur.

Remarks have been calmly edited for readability.

AP: You’ve lengthy maintained that globalization lifts creating nations out of poverty. What do you make of the shift away from globalization by many nations lately?

BONO: Nicely, that’s proper. Globalization did very nicely for the world’s poor. That and elevated assist ranges introduced a billion folks out of maximum poverty and halved childhood mortality — outstanding jumps for high quality of life for human beings.

But it surely’s additionally truthful to say sure communities actually paid the worth for that — right here in Europe, in america. And I’m undecided these communities have been credited sufficient for weathering storms that globalization introduced. So I perceive how we received to this place, but it surely doesn’t imply that it’s the precise place to be in.

Nationalism will not be what we want. We grew up in a really charged ambiance in Eire. It makes you suspicious of nationalism and people animal spirits that may be drummed up. That is me talking about give up, “Stories of Surrender,” at a time when the world has by no means been nearer to a world conflict in my lifetime. At first I feel it appears absurd, a bit ridiculous — now that has by no means stopped me up to now — however I feel it’s OK to look ridiculous for these concepts. Like give up, nonviolence, peace.

AP: Do you’ve gotten any sense but of Pope Leo XIV?

BONO: The brand new pope, he does appear like a pope. That’s an excellent begin. I simply noticed the opposite day his first piece and he was speaking about stopping shouting, God may choose whispers. I believed, “Oh, this could be interesting.” I’m extra of a shouter myself. I come from punk rock. However I’m studying to show that shout right into a whisper on this movie to get to an intimacy.

AP: Essentially the most shifting components of “Stories of Surrender” are while you speak about your dad, who died in 2001. How have you ever emotions about him developed with time?

BONO: Nicely, the accuracy of the put-down — “You are a baritone who thinks he’s a tenor” — is so all encompassing. I used to be going to name the play “The Baritone Who Thinks He’s a Tenor.” He’s on my thoughts as a result of he’s the rationale I sing.

It’s a wound that may by no means shut as a result of after enjoying him on stage for all these nights — simply by turning left or proper — I all the time cherished him however I began to essentially like him. He began to make me chuckle. There was a present, in addition to the voice, that he left me. Would he forgive me for impersonating him within the Teatro di San Carlo, a sacred place for tenors, in all probability not. However right here I’m impersonating an actor, so.

AP: You’ve spent the final 5 years in some state of self evaluation. First the e-book, then the stage present, now the movie. Why?

BONO: Mission creep. I knew I needed to write the e-book. The play was so I didn’t should tour the e-book in regular promotional exercise, that I might even have enjoyable with it and play all of the totally different characters in my life. I believed it was actually good enjoyable. Then I noticed: Oh, there’s components of you that individuals don’t find out about. We don’t go to U2 exhibits for stomach laughs. However that’s part of who I’m, which is the mischief in addition to the melancholy.

Then you find yourself doing a play with a number of cameras in the best way. Enter Andrew Dominik and he taught me one thing that I didn’t actually perceive however my daughter does: The digicam actually is aware of while you’re mendacity. So if wish to inform this story, you higher get able to take your armor off. You’re going to really feel bare in entrance of the entire faculty, however that’s what it takes.

AP: Popping out the opposite facet, did you acquire any new perspective on your self?

BONO: Based mostly on my habits simply up to now week, the reply to that query might be: Should strive tougher. The pilgrim’s lack of progress. I’d say that I perceive a bit of higher the place I got here from and that the place I find yourself is dependent upon how I take care of that.

I’ve been calling it the corridor of mirrors, while you strive to determine who you’re and who’s behind the face. You then simply see all these faces staring again at you, and so they’re all true. The true star of this film is my dad. I form of like him higher than I like myself as a result of humor has grow to be so necessary to me. It’s not like all the pieces must be a stomach chuckle, however there’s a freedom. Individuals like me, we are able to sing about freedom. It’s a lot better to be it.

AP: You earlier spoke in regards to the rising menace of world conflict. As somebody who’s usually sang for and labored for peace, do you continue to have hope?

BONO: There’s a minister from Albania who stated one thing that basically caught with me. She stated: You probably have an opportunity to hope, it’s an ethical obligation as a result of most individuals don’t. So, sure, I really feel we’ll determine our manner out of this. It is a scary second.

I feel acknowledging that we are able to lose all we’ve gained is sobering however it could be course-changing. I simply consider in folks sufficient. I consider in People sufficient. I’m an Irish particular person, I can’t inform folks the right way to vote.

I can let you know that 1,000,000 kids dying as a result of their life assist methods have been pulled out of the wall, with glee, that’s not the America that I acknowledge or perceive. You’re on the entrance strains of Europe right here. America got here in and saved the day. Satirically, so did Russia. Extra folks died from Russia preventing the Nazis than all people else. Now they tread on their very own sacred reminiscences by treading on the Ukrainians who additionally died on the entrance strains. I feel a part of that’s that historical past didn’t acknowledge it.

I consider there’s integrity within the Russian folks. They should change their chief, for my part. I consider there’s integrity within the People. They are going to determine it out. Who was it who stated: In the event you give People the information, they may ultimately make the precise selection. Proper now, they’re not getting the information. Consider it: a 70% decline in HIV-AIDS, Republican-led, Democratically adopted although. The best well being intervention within the historical past of medication to struggle HIV-AIDS has been thrown away. It was practically there. To an area traveler, it’s like attending to Mars and going, “Nah, we’ll go back.” It’s bewildering to me.

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