Filipino auteur Lav Diaz’s latest historical epic, Magellan, is set to have its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. The film stars Gael García Bernal as the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and explores his colonial campaigns in the Philippines during the early 16th century. The 165-minute film will be featured in the “Cannes Première” section of the festival.
Magellan is a co-production between Portugal’s Rosa Filmes, Spain’s Andergraun Films, the Philippines’ BlackCap Pictures, and Taiwan’s Volos Films. The film is presented in Portuguese and Spanish and is the first installment in a two-part project by Diaz. The second part, an untitled nine-hour film focusing on Magellan’s wife, Beatriz Barbosa de Magalhães, is currently in post-production.
Filming took place in late 2024 across various locations, including Sampaloc and Mauban in Quezon, Philippines, southern Portugal, and Cádiz, Spain. A replica of the Victoria, one of Magellan’s ships, was used for certain scenes. The film features cinematography by Artur Tort and editing by Diaz and Tort.
Magellan will have its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival in May. The film’s selection underscores Diaz’s continued prominence in international cinema.
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