Ukrainian military walked the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival

Ukrainian military walked the red carpet of the Cannes Film Festival

On May 16, U2 frontman Bono presented the documentary film "Bono: Stories of Surrender" at the Cannes Film Festival. He was accompanied on the red carpet by actor Sean Penn, The Edge guitarist, and Ukrainian military personnel who are participants of the "Cultural Forces" platform.

This was reported by "Cultural Forces".

The event was joined by several Ukrainian military personnel and musicians:

• Taras Stolyar — bandura player, scout of the 112th Territorial Defense Brigade, has been serving in the Ukrainian Armed Forces since February 24, 2022;
• Olha Rukavishnikova — violinist, grenade launcher operator, has been serving since the first day of the full-scale invasion, received five injuries and lost an eye;
• Yuriy Ivaskevych — opera singer, shooter of the 110th Territorial Defense Brigade, on the frontlines since February 24, 2022. In the summer of 2023, lost a leg to a mine;
• Valeriy Shyrokov — mortar crew operator in the Territorial Defense with combat experience and press attaché of "Cultural Forces";
• Artem Poznanskyi — soldier of the 59th Separate Motorized Infantry Brigade and operator of "Cultural Forces";
• Serhiy Ivanchuk — opera singer and volunteer, was shot by Russian soldiers during the evacuation of his family on March 10, 2022. Received six gunshot wounds, one of which pierced his lungs.

After the premiere, a private music event was held, featuring works by Ukrainian and international composers — "Melody" by Myroslav Skoryk, excerpts from Italian opera, and "Duma" by Dremlyuga. In attendance were the French Minister of Culture, Luciano Pavarotti’s widow and daughter, Bono, The Edge, Sean Penn, and relatives of George Clooney.

About the Bono Film

As reported by Variety, the documentary "Bono: Stories of Surrender" was created for Apple. It tells the story of Bono’s solo show of the same name, based on his memoir "Surrender: 40 Songs, One Story". The film features exclusive footage of performances at the Beacon Theatre, as well as songs by U2. According to the description, the film showcases stories from Bono’s life as a son, father, husband, activist, and musician.

In his speech, he mentioned actor Sean Penn:

"If I were in the trenches — real trenches, not those on a movie set — I would want to be with Sean Penn in those trenches. He was there with me. Thank you again."