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Magellan (film)

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For the 2014 Peruvian film, see Magallanes (film).

Magellan
International teaser poster
PortugueseMagalhães
Directed byLav Diaz
Written byLav Diaz
Produced by
Starring
Cinematography
  • Lav Diaz
  • Artur Tort
Edited by
  • Lav Diaz
  • Artur Tort
Music byMarc Verdaguer
Production
companies
  • Rosa Filmes
  • Andergraun Films
  • BlackCap Pictures
  • Lib Films
Distributed byBlack Cap Pictures
TEN17P (Philippines)
Release dates
  • 18 May 2025 (2025-05-18) (Cannes)
  • 10 September 2025 (2025-09-10) (Philippines)
Running time
Countries
  • Portugal
  • Spain
  • Philippines
  • France
  • Taiwan
Languages

Magellan (Portuguese: Magalhães) is a 2025 epic historical drama film written, co-edited and directed by Lav Diaz, his first film not in Tagalog language.[5] It stars Gael García Bernal as Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, and depicts his role in the Portuguese and Spanish colonial campaigns in Southeast Asia in the early 16th century.[6]

The film had its world premiere at the Cannes Premiere section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May. It was selected as the Philippines' entry to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.[7][8] It was theatrically released in Philippines by TEN17P on 10 September.

Plot

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In 1511, Ferdinand Magellan participates in the Capture of Malacca under the command of Afonso de Albuquerque and is injured in battle. He buys a Cebuano slave whom he names Enrique and brings him along upon his return to Portugal. Magellan is nursed back to health by Beatriz Barbosa, whom he marries, while Enrique continues to worship his native gods in secret. Years later, King Manuel I of Portugal rejects Magellan’s proposal to circumnavigate the globe to find a trade route that would avoid Spanish competitors, prompting Magellan to go to Spain instead, where his proposal is accepted. In 1519, he embarks on his voyage, leaving a pregnant Beatriz behind.

Magellan faces multiple challenges while undertaking his voyage. He has a crewmember put to death for engaging in homosexual acts, and maroons another crew member and a priest on Patagonia for mutiny. Several mutinies lead to the loss of several ships, with crew members executed or tied up as punishment. As his fleet makes its way through the Pacific Ocean, the prolonged voyage leaves the crew in a dire condition. Magellan dreams of Beatriz informing him of the deaths of their child and herself.

Enrique spots the island of Cebu, lifting the crew's hopes. Going ashore, they are met by the local chieftain, Rajah Humabon, with Enrique acting as translator. With a Magellan brings a statuette of the Santo Niño and his personal stash of quince to Humabon's sick son in the hopes of curing him. When the boy recovers, Humabon's wife attributes the event to the Santo Niño, triggering celebrations in the community. Magellan and Humabon enter into a blood compact and convinces Humabon and his subjects to convert to Christianity. Within days however, Magellan and his crew draw the ire of the natives by burning the images of their anitos, as Humabon's wife, baptized under the name Juana, warns that they will face retribution from their gods.

Humabon instructs his men to spread rumors of the existence of Datu Lapu-Lapu, a wak-wak who preys on humans. Magellan, who dismisses Lapu-Lapu as a phantasm, is lured to fight him after being informed that he and his subjects are defying him. Magellan and his forces set off to battle, only to be wiped out as he staggers along the battlefield before collapsing. Enrique watches Humabon and his subjects carrying the corpse of one of Magellan's crew and his detached head in celebration, as he reveals in a voice-over that it was Humabon and his forces who attacked Magellan and that there was no Lapu-Lapu. Enrique also reveals that he participated in the massacre of most of Magellan's remaining men in order to regain his freedom.

Cast

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Production

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Development

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Lav Diaz and producer Albert Serra first met when the latter curated Diaz's work for a museum in Barcelona. Serra, a Spanish filmmaker who is Diaz's contemporary in slow cinema, and Joaquim Sapinho, who is Portuguese, separately told Diaz in the late 2010s that they were interested in funding an international co-production between their respective countries. At the time, Diaz was already doing research on the life of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who sailed to the Philippines under the Spanish crown, and would thus base the film project off of his research into the historical figure.[10]

First announced in 2019 as Beatriz, The Wife, Diaz was first inspired by the life of Magellan's wife Beatriz Barbosa de Magallanes, whom he married just two years before he set off for the Magellan expedition.[11] The film was produced by Portuguese studio Rosa Filmes with Andergraun Films from Spain, Black Cap Pictures from the Philippines, and Volos Films from Taiwan.[12]

Diaz stated that his seven years of research into historical sources led him to portray Lapulapu, the datu of Mactan, as a "myth" rather than a historical figure.[13] He argued that Lapulapu may have been created by Rajah Humabon to discourage Magellan's crew from converting more people into Christianity, remarking that "no one ever saw Lapulapu." Because of Lapulapu's widespread and official recognition as a historical figure in the Philippines,[14][15][16][17] Diaz acknowledged that his interpretation might be criticized as "revisionist".[18]

Hazel Orencio, who portrays Juana, was required to learn Cebuano (Bisaya) for this film. She was aided by the film's assistant director, Sanny Joaquin, a native speaker of the language.[2] During post-production the footage was divided in two feature films, with Magellan being the first, while an untitled second film will have a nine-hour cut featuring Beatriz's side of the story.[6]

Filming

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Principal photography took place in Sampaloc and Mauban towns in Quezon, Philippines, in the last quarter of 2024, followed by filming in southern Portugal and Cádiz, Spain. Production wrapped in December.[6][19] The replica of Ferdinand Magellan's Victoria, which was in Cádiz during filming was also used.[19] During filming, Diaz fell ill with tuberculosis.[20]

Arthur Tort, producer Albert Serra's regular collaborator, was the director of photography alongside Diaz. The film was shot with multiple Panasonic Lumix GH7 digital cameras, in it's square 4:3 aspect ratio, the same equipment used by Tort in Pacifiction (2022) and Afternoons of Solitude (2024).[21]

Release

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Cast and crew at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival

Magellan had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on 18 May 2025.[19][22] It was screened in the Cannes Premiere section, while the second film is still in post-production.[23]

Prior to its world premiere, Nour Films acquired the distribution rights of the film in France.[24] The North American distribution rights were acquired by Janus Films, announced after the festival.[25][26] In the Philippines, Ten17P holds the distribution rights of the film in the country.[27]

The film had its Australian premiere at the 72nd Sydney Film Festival.[28] It is scheduled to make its North American premiere at the Toronto International Film Festival, followed by the U.S. premiere at the New York Film Festival under the Main Slate section.[29][30] It is scheduled to compete at the 70th Valladolid International Film Festival in Spain.[31] In September 2025, it was announced that the film would have its U.K. premiere at the BFI London Film Festival.[32]

It was released in the Philippines on 10 September 2025.[33] The film was originally and entry at the 2025 Asean International Film Festival & Awards in Malaysia, but it was barred from screening due to certain nudity scenes deemed contrary to Sharia law.[34]

It will be released in the United States on January 9, 2026.[35]

Reception

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Critical response

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On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 22 critics' reviews are positive, with an average rating of RT data for "average" unavailable./10. Metacritic, which uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 76 out of 100, based on 5 critics, indicating "generally favorable" reviews.

Guy Lodge of Variety described the film as "stunningly mounted" and "politically rigorous," noting that at two hours and forty-five minutes it is comparatively short for Diaz, but still "no artistic compromise," with the spirit of slow cinema intact.[36] Writing for The Hollywood Reporter, Jordan Mintzer similarly remarked that the film was "exquisitely crafted" and may be one of Diaz's most accessible works, while emphasizing that its austere, meditative style still places it firmly within the director's body of work.[37] Jonathan Romney of Screen International characterized it as a "sardonic, detached but compelling study,"[38] while Josh Slater-Williams of IndieWire considered it as one of the director's "most fascinating achievements," calling it a "hypnotizing historical and spiritual epic" and praising its immersive qualities across decades of history, something he argued few such stories successfully achieve.[39] Critics also commended Gael García Bernal's performance. Jonathan Romney noted that Garcia Bernal's "muted performance... vividly evokes the physical and mental wear and tear on a voyager's being."[38]

Other critics emphasized the film’s visual style and scope, with particular praise for cinematographer Arthur Tort, working alongside Diaz. Àngel Quintana of Caimán Cuadernos de Cine praised its "epic dimension" achieved without resorting to spectacle,[40] while Diego Batlle of Otroscines.com highlighted Diaz's ability to compose shots with "density, dimension, and suggestive power."[41] Paul Enicola of The Asian Cut praised the film's use of 1.33:1 aspect ratio, which "tightens the frame until it feels almost Bergmanesque with faces boxed in and history pressing down."[3] Clarence Tsui of the South China Morning Post lauded its "stunning imagery" and "slow-burning, yet ceaselessly fiery narrative."[42]

Historical accuracy

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The portrayal of Mactan chieftain Lapulapu as a "myth" drew mixed reactions from historians.

In an article published on The Freeman, two unnamed Cebu-based historians strongly disputed Diaz's claim and ensisted that Lapulapu's existence is attested by Enrique of Malacca and Antonio Pigafetta, and how Pigafetta's account is a highly reliable source as he witnessed the Battle of Mactan first-hand.[43]

Other historians, including one cited by The Freeman, acknowledged the "artistic license" taken by Lav Diaz. At an invitational screening, Ambeth Ocampo noted that Diaz had made a film, not a "doctoral dissertation", criticising the anonymous historians in The Freeman article for commenting on a film they had not seen. University of San Carlos associate professor George Borrinaga, in the same The Freeman article, acknowledged the film as a means to promote discussions on Lapulapu and how the lack of primary sources outside of Pigafetta led Diaz to be convinced that Lapulapu is a "myth", advising the viewers to take the claim with a "grain of salt".

In Ocampo's review published on Philippine Daily Inquirer, he noted "minor" inaccuracies, such as how the historical Santo Niño image depicted in the film was actually naked and white-skinned, while blood compact ceremonies were conducted using blood drawn from under the breast, rather than from the arms as depicted in the film.[44]

Diaz himself already anticipated criticisms of "historical revisionism".[18] He argued that Filipinos should reconsider Rajah Humabon's place in Philippine history and his portrayal of events of the film is the result of his own research.[45]

The use of the Cebuano language in Magellan was described by some as overly modern. The Asian Cut's Paul Enicola wrote in his Toronto International Film Festival review, "More contentious is the use of Cebuano here, which occasionally veers into modern registers that jar against the historical setting." He added that as a fluent Cebuano speaker, he found it distracting, though not a significant issue in his viewing experience.[3] An article by &Asian quoted a few Cebuano-speaking moviegoers who said that the film's language was rather "anachronistic" due to its "minimal" borrowings from Hiligaynon and Tagalog.[4]

Accolades

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Award Date of ceremony Category Recipient(s) Result Ref.
Munich International Film Festival 6 July 2025 Cinemasters Lav Diaz Nominated [46]
Valladolid International Film Festival 1 November 2025 Golden Spike Lav Diaz Won[b] [47]
Asia Pacific Screen Awards 27 November 2025 Best Film Lav Diaz, Joaquim Sapinho, Marta Alves, and Albert Serra Nominated [48]
Best Cinematography Artur Tort and Lav Diaz Nominated

See also

[edit]
Wikimedia Commons has media related to Magellan (film).

Notes

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  1. ^ Many official listings and some articles from major outlets have described Magellan as a Tagalog or Filipino film. However, the cast members have stated that they learned Cebuano (Bisaya) for Magellan.[2] The Asian Cut's Paul Enicola, a fluent speaker of Cebuano, likewise wrote that the film uses Cebuano, not Tagalog.[3] In an article published by &Asian on 27 October, 2025, writer Julienne Loreto also quoted Cebuano-speaking moviegoers who confirmed that the film's main language is Cebuano and criticised other platforms for erroneously calling it a Tagalog-language film. As of writing, the British Film Institute have issued an apology.[4]
  2. ^ Award shared with The Mastermind.

References

[edit]
  1. ^ "Magellan". Luxbox. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  2. ^ a b Baltar, Lé (19 May 2025). "Lav Diaz on the Cost of Making 'Magellan': 'I've Seen Death'". Rolling Stone Philippines. Archived from the original on 19 September 2025.
  3. ^ a b c Enicola, Paul (10 September 2025). "TIFF 2025: Lav Diaz's 'Magellan' and the Deconstruction of Conquerors and Myths". The Asian Cut. Archived from the original on 27 October 2025.
  4. ^ a b Loreto, Julienne (27 October 2025). "Western Media Keeps on Erasing Philippine Languages. Why Do We Act Like It's Okay?". &Asian. Archived from the original on 27 October 2025.
  5. ^ Rithdee, Kong (13 May 2025). "Cannes 2025: What's on our watch list". Bangkok Post. Retrieved 19 May 2025. This is Diaz's first film in Portuguese and Spanish, but the subject of Filipino history and his country's fraught, caustic past has always been in the master's resume.
  6. ^ a b c Goodfellow, Melanie (6 April 2025). "Lav Diaz Hints At Cannes Debut For Ferdinand Magellan Film With Gael García Bernal; Reveals Near-Death Experience: "It Became A Personal Journey To Understanding Immortality"". Deadline. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  7. ^ Mallorca, Hannah (1 September 2025). "Lav Diaz's 'Magellan' is PH entry for Best International Feature Film at 2025 Oscars". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 1 September 2025.
  8. ^ Ramachandran, Naman (1 September 2025). "Lav Diaz's 'Magellan' Sails to Oscar Waters as Philippines' International Feature Entry". Variety. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  9. ^ "Roger Koza, de crítico a actor: cómo llegó a filmar con Gael García Bernal en la selva filipina | Cine y series". La Voz del Interior (in Spanish). 19 December 2024. Retrieved 17 April 2025.
  10. ^ Payo, Jasmine (24 April 2025). "Lav Diaz on Cannes-bound 'Magellan,' Gael Garcia Bernal, and how he 'almost died'". Rappler. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  11. ^ Dalton, Ben (6 April 2025). "Lav Diaz prepares Alexandre Dumas adaptation; hopes to launch 'Magellan' at Cannes". Screen. Retrieved 9 April 2025.
  12. ^ Dalton, Ben. "Lav Diaz prepares Alexandre Dumas adaptation; hopes to launch 'Magellan' at Cannes". Screen. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  13. ^ Cruz, Marinel (28 April 2025). "Lav Diaz aims to spark debate at Cannes with 'Magellan'". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  14. ^ Guerrero, Rafael Ma. (1983). Readings in Philippine Cinema. Manila Film Center, Pasay City: Experimental Cinema of the Philippines. p. 48. Retrieved 23 August 2025. The Fifties also turned out a spate of historical films based on the famous sagas of local legendary heroes. There was[...] LVN's Dagohoy and Lapu-Lapu, with Mario Montenegro portraying both valiant fighters for freedom.
  15. ^ Romanillos, Felipe (12 April 2000). "Historical struggles: From Mactan to Bohol". Manila Standard. Kamahalan Publishing Corporation. p. 14. Retrieved 23 August 2025 – via Google Books. The stories about the natives of Mactan and the stern leadership of Lapu-Lapu in their victorious fight against the Spanish invaders have been told repeatedly in school.
  16. ^ Celestino C. Macachor (2008). "Searching for Kali in the Indigenous Chronicles of Jovito Abellana". Rapid Journal. 10 (2). Fallon, Nevada: FMAdigest. Archived from the original on 3 July 2012. The Aginid[,] a discovery made by Jovito Abellana's great grandfather[,] is probably the only pre-colonial chronicle of the history of Cebu written in ancient alibata script on pandan leaves and other indigenous materials.
  17. ^ Romero, Alexis (28 April 2017). "'Hero' Lapu-Lapu gets special day". The Philippine Star. Manila, Philippines: Philstar Global Corp. Retrieved 23 August 2025. President [Rodrigo] Duterte has declared April 27 as Lapu-Lapu Day in honor of the Cebuano who is recognized as the first hero who resisted foreign rule in the country.
  18. ^ a b "Was Lapulapu a figment of the imagination?". Daily Tribune. Agence France-Presse. 21 May 2025. Retrieved 23 May 2025.
  19. ^ a b c Payo, Jasmine (24 April 2025). "Lav Diaz on Cannes-bound 'Magellan,' Gael Garcia Bernal, and how he 'almost died'". Rappler. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  20. ^ Felipe, MJ (1 September 2025). "Lav Diaz struck with tuberculosis while shooting 'Magellan'". ABS-CBN. Retrieved 2 September 2025.
  21. ^ Nussen, Gregory (27 October 2025). "Magellan Review: Gael García Bernal Stars In Lav Diaz's Unromantic Portrait Of A Romantic Antihero In Oddly Beautiful Biopic". ScreenRant. Retrieved 24 November 2025.
  22. ^ "The Screenings Guide of the 78th Festival de Cannes". Festival de Cannes. 8 May 2025. Retrieved 8 May 2025.
  23. ^ Purnell, Kristofer (24 April 2025). "Lav Diaz, Gael Garcia Bernal's 'Magellan' film getting Cannes premiere". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
  24. ^ Barraclough, Leo (9 May 2025). "Nour Films Takes French Rights to Lav Diaz's 'Magellan' Ahead of Cannes Premiere (Exclusive)". Variety. Retrieved 12 May 2025.
  25. ^ Vlessing, Etan (3 June 2025). "Gael Garcia Bernal's 'Magellan' Goes to Janus Films". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  26. ^ Grobar, Matt (3 June 2025). "Janus Films Acquires Lav Diaz Drama 'Magellan' Starring Gael García Bernal". Deadline. Retrieved 3 June 2025.
  27. ^ Tomada, Nathalie (25 April 2025). "A homecoming IS in the works for 'Magellan' after Cannes". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 21 June 2025.
  28. ^ Downs, Sarah (2 June 2025). "Sydney Film Festival Adds Nine New Titles to 2025 Lineup". Variety Australia. Retrieved 4 June 2025.
  29. ^ Loving, Casey (8 August 2025). "TIFF 2025 Adds 'Jaws' 50th Anniversary Screening, Ferdinand Magellan Biopic and More". TheWrap. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  30. ^ Goldsmith, Jill (5 August 2025). "New York Film Festival Sets Main Slate With Jafar Panahi & Joachim Trier Cannes Winners, Ulrich Köhler's 'Gavagai' World Premiere". Deadline. Retrieved 8 August 2025.
  31. ^ "La 70ª edición de la Seminci avanza los primeros títulos de la Sección Oficial y Punto de Encuentro". Audiovisual451 (in Spanish). 24 July 2025. Retrieved 7 September 2025.
  32. ^ Tabbara, Mona. "BFI London Film Festival unveils 2025 line-up". Screen. Retrieved 3 September 2025.
  33. ^ Versailles, Sai (29 August 2025). "'Magellan' to Premiere in Philippine Cinemas This September". RollingStone Philippines. Retrieved 29 August 2025.
  34. ^ Cruz, Marinel (15 November 2025). "Why Lav Diaz's 'Magellan' can't screen in Malaysia". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 19 November 2025.
  35. ^ Foreman, Alison (18 November 2025). "'Magellan' Trailer: Lav Diaz Takes a Crime Scene View of Colonialism with Star Gael García Bernal". IndieWire. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
  36. ^ Lodge, Guy (28 May 2025). "'Magellan' Review: Gael García Bernal Plays the Famed Explorer in Lav Diaz's Mesmerizing, Myth-Busting Biopic". Variety. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  37. ^ Mintzer, Jordan (24 May 2025). "'Magellan' Review: Gael Garcia Bernal Plays the Famous Explorer in Lav Diaz's Exquisitely Shot Challenge of an Arthouse Epic". The Hollywood Reporter. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  38. ^ a b Romney, Jonathan. "'Magellan' review: Lav Diaz directs Gael Garcia Bernal as the titular Portuguese explorer". Screen. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  39. ^ Slater-Williams, Josh (18 May 2025). "'Magellan' Review: Gael García Bernal and Lav Diaz Unite for a Hypnotizing Historical and Spiritual Epic". IndieWire. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  40. ^ CdC, Caimán (20 May 2025). "Magalhães (Lav Diaz). Cannes 2025 - Cannes Première". Caiman Ediciones (in Spanish). Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  41. ^ Batlle, Diego (22 May 2025). "Festival de Cannes 2025: crítica de "Magalhâes" ("Magellan"), película de Lav Diaz con Gael García Bernal (sección Cannes Premiere)". Otros Cines (in Spanish).
  42. ^ Tsui, Clarennce (19 May 2025). "Review | Magellan, conqueror of Philippines, as we've never seen him before". South China Morning Post. Retrieved 23 August 2025.
  43. ^ Aguja, Januar Junior (5 September 2025). "Cebu historians split on Lav Diaz's Lapulapu 'myth' claim". The Philippine Star. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  44. ^ Ocampo, Ambeth (10 September 2025). "'Magellan': Old questions, new answers". Philippine Daily Inquirer. Retrieved 22 September 2025.
  45. ^ "Diaz on why Lapulapu is absent in 'Magellan': Humabon did everything". The Philippine Star. 9 September 2025. Retrieved 18 September 2025.
  46. ^ "MAGALHÃES". www.filmfest-muenchen.de. Retrieved 25 August 2025.
  47. ^ prensa/redes, Equipo (1 November 2025). "La 70ª Seminci corona a 'The Mastermind' y 'Magallanes' con la Espiga de Oro ex aequo". SEMINCI (in European Spanish). Retrieved 1 November 2025.
  48. ^ "18th ASIA PACIFIC SCREEN AWARDS NOMINATIONS ANNOUNCED". FilmInk. Retrieved 15 October 2025.
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