Magellan, directed by Lav Diaz, brings to life the role of the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, portrayed by Gael García Bernal, in the colonization of Southeast Asia.
The film was selected as the Philippines’ Oscar entry for Best International Feature Film at the 98th Academy Awards.
Co-starring Ângela Azevedo, Amado Arjay Babon along with frequent Diaz collaborators Ronnie Lazaro and Hazel Orencio, this ambitious historical drama traverses the Philippines, Portugal, and Spain to re-examine one of the most pivotal voyages in world history.
Magellan world premiered at Cannes in its Première section, then went on to screen at the Sydney Film Festival, Toronto International Film Festival, and the New York Film Festival. It is slated to open in U.S. theaters, starting in New York and Los Angeles, on January 9, 2026.
Set at the dawn of the modern era, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan (Gael García Bernal) navigated a fleet of ships to Southeast Asia, attempting the first voyage across the vast Pacific Ocean. On reaching the Malay Archipelago, the crew pushed to the brink of madness in the harshness of the high seas and overwhelming natural beauty of the islands, Magellan’s obsession leads to a rebellion and reckoning with the consequences of power.
A vast, globe-spanning epic from Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz (Norte, The End of History), Magellan presents the colonization of the Philippines as a primal, shocking encounter with the unknown and a radical retelling of European narratives of discovery and exploration.
Variety review praised Magellan, writing, “The spirit of slow cinema is alive and languid in this stunningly mounted, politically rigorous work, which confronts any viewers hoping for a sweeping biographical romp with a frank post-colonial perspective, thoroughly and violently dismantling any romanticized legacy trailing the eponymous Portuguese navigator.”
Watch the official trailer for Magellan above.
Leave a Reply
You must be logged in to post a comment.