Filipino auteur Lav Diaz’s latest film, Magellan, received a five-minute standing ovation at the 78th Cannes Film Festival during its Cannes Premiere screening at the Debussy Theatre. The film stars acclaimed Hollywood actor Gael Garcia Bernal as the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who was killed in the Philippines in 1521.
Known for his lengthy cinematic works, Diaz condensed Magellan to just under three hours after eight years of research. The film offers a haunting, intimate portrait of the explorer’s final days and challenges widely accepted Filipino historical narratives, particularly the existence of Lapu-Lapu.
“We need to start discussing that. I’m not saying that I am right, but I think I’m near the truth on that. I can challenge anybody. I am sure it is going to be controversial in our country, but kailangan. We need to have a dialogue about the past,” Diaz said in an exclusive interview.
He added, “The biggest pathology of the Filipino is our mythmaking. We need to re-examine our past continually.”
Shot in challenging natural conditions across various Philippine locations including Sampaloc, Quezon, Diaz likened the eight-year production journey to Magellan’s own. “Lahat ng hirap ginawa namin… So, it was like Magellan. It was a journey. How do we get there? That was the challenge.”
On working with Bernal, Diaz shared, “He was great. Talagang he was into it… We got there—from the mud, to the mosquitoes, to the dirty waters. We are now here.”
Bernal described his experience filming in the Philippines as rewarding despite constant rain. “There was a lot of rain all the time, but that was hey, it’s part of the ecosystem. It’s part of the beauty of the Philippines… We had a really good time there and we had a lot of the pancit, ube, keso, and pandesal.”
The film also stars Angela Azevedo (Beatriz), Amado Arjay Babon (Enrique), Bong Cabrera (Raja Kulambo), Ronnie Lazaro (Raja Humabon), and Hazel Orencio (Reyna Juana).
Producer Paul Soriano expressed pride in being part of the project, saying, “It’s great to see Lav being the captain of the ship… We couldn’t be happier to represent the Philippines as always.”
On the challenges of producing the film, Soriano said, “Every time I produce a film, the challenges are endless, but it’s the passion that keeps me going… It was really fantastic. And of course, the support back in the Philippines with the people really supporting the film.”
He praised Bernal’s dedication, noting, “Working with Gael, I learned that he is the ultimate professional… I was just always telling him to embrace it because Magellan was always after the unknown, and he did fantastically.”
Soriano also acknowledged Senator Loren Legarda as one of the executive producers who strongly supported the project. He hopes to bring the film to Philippine audiences soon, along with Bernal’s return visit to celebrate with the team and experience more Filipino culture.
While Magellan premiered as a shortened Cannes version, Soriano hinted that Diaz may still create the longer nine-hour version in the future, saying, “This is the Cannes premiere version… He does want to revisit it… I’ll leave it up to Lav because he’s the master at that.”
4o