Underplayed Gems

Magellan (2025)

Magellan poster
Original title
Magalhães
Directed by
Lav Diaz
Genre
epic film, historical drama film
Country
Philippines, Taiwan, France, Portugal
Runtime
2h 36m
Rated
NR
Rating
6.2 of 10 from 30 voters
Elsewhere
IMDb
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How it feels

This film follows Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan as he leads colonial campaigns in Southeast Asia during the 1500s. It shows his role in the Spanish and Portuguese expeditions.

slow-burncontemplativeepicmeditativebleakvisually lushunsettling

What happens

Magellan (Portuguese: Magalhães) is a 2025 epic historical drama film written and directed by Lav Diaz. The film stars Gael García Bernal as Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, and depicts Magellan's role in early-16th-century Portuguese and Spanish colonial campaigns in Southeast Asia. The film was first announced in 2019 with Magellan's wife, Beatriz Barbosa de Magallanes, as the focus. As Diaz researched on Magellan's expedition, he shifted the film to Lapulapu, as he found that information from primary sources were not clear about him. Filming then took place in the Philippines, Portugal, and Spain from 2024 to early 2025. Magellan had its world premiere at the 78th Cannes Film Festival in France on 18 May 2025. It was theatrically released in the Philippines by TEN17P on 10 September, and was selected as the Philippines' entry to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film. Magellan received positive reception for its slow cinema cinematography and performances. The film won the Golden Spike award at the 70th Valladolid International Film Festival. (from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA)

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