Magellan

Plot

At the dawn of the modern era, Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan leads an expedition under the Spanish crown in search of the first westward route to the Spice Islands. He embarks on a perilous journey across the uncharted Pacific, where his fleet faces starvation, mutiny, and the psychological toll of endless seas. Upon reaching the shores of Cebu, Magellan is pulled into a fatal conflict with the natives by his drive to spread Catholicism, culminating in his tragic doom.

About Magellan

Magellan (Portuguese: Magalhães) is a 2025 historical epic 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 premiered at the 78th Cannes Film Festival 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 4.0.

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