Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz’s film “Magellan” won the Golden Spike, the top award at the 70th Valladolid International Film Festival (SEMINCI) in Spain.
The film shared the honor with “The Mastermind” by American director Kelly Reichardt. The Golden Spike recognizes the best feature-length film at SEMINCI, one of Europe’s prestigious film festivals.
According to the jury, “Magellan” was praised for “allowing us to immerse ourselves in the past from the present, re-reading colonial history through a complex and critical lens.”
Critics also commended the film’s “extraordinary aesthetic, photographic and temporal vision,” as well as its “narrative ambition, formal rigor, and unique ability to intertwine historical reflection with cinematic experience.”
Known for his distinct slow cinema style, Lav Diaz has directed acclaimed works such as “Ang Hele sa Hiwagang Hapis,” “Norte, The End of History,” and “Batang West Side.”
Running 2 hours and 45 minutes, “Magellan” has also been selected as the Philippines’ official entry to the Best International Feature Film category at the upcoming Oscars.