I Am Because We Are review

Madonna today compared the "painful" struggle of her adoption plans controversy with the suffering women go through in natural childbirth.

The singer, who said her son David Banda's natural mother died from Aids, was speaking in Cannes at a press conference about her documentary I Am Because We Are, in which David features.

She was asked about the controversy over the adoption process and whether it was to do with karma.

Madonna replied: "I suppose everything that happens to me is a karmic thing. It was meant to happen. So yes it was painful and a big struggle and I didn't understand it. But in the end I rationalised that when a woman has a child and goes through natural childbirth, she suffers an enormous amount. So I sort of went through my own kind of birthing pains, dealing with the press on my doorstep, accusing me of kidnapping or whatever you want to call it. But I had to go through some kind of process and in the end it made me stronger so I can't complain."

She was also asked to clarify whether she believed David's natural mother had died from Aids and whether his father had agreed to the adoption.

The singer replied: "Yes his mother did die of Aids and yes, I met his father and he has absolutely agreed to the adoption."

Madonna's hard-hitting film concerns the effects of Aids on orphans in Malawi.

The country has a population of 12 million and more than a million are orphans.

The movie, featuring Bill Clinton and Archbishop Desmond Tutu among others, follows real-life stories of children and the parents who have died and examines how inter-connected the world is.

Director Nathan Rissman previously did several jobs for Madonna, including a stint as her gardener.

Madonna was asked whether the film was an explanation for why she wanted to adopt David.

She said: "There is nothing controversial about the adoption. It is just there's a lot of bureaucracy and administration. This adoption essentially was the beginning of the creation of adoption laws in Malawi. I am the template or the role model so to speak for future adoptions."

She said she hoped it would make the process easier for other people to adopt children, continuing: "I am happy to be a guinea pig.

Madonna said: "I went to Malawi in Africa thinking that I was going to save children's lives and make a big difference in their lives and I was going to effect change in their lives and hopefully I have.

"But the surprise to me was how much they changed me and how much evolution and growth occurred inside of me. I realised that if you really want to change the world, you have to change yourself."

The singer said she was grateful that the film had generated a buzz and distribution deals for the movie were being found all over the world.

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