MAGELLAN (MAGALHÃES) Luminaries

In Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz’s (THE WOMAN WHO LEFT, AFI FEST 2014) gorgeously mounted, anti-colonial epic, Gael García Bernal stars as infamous Portuguese navigator Ferdinand Magellan. After the brutal conquest of Malacca in 1511, Magellan returns to Europe poised to continue his expeditions but finds the Portuguese crown unwilling to put up the funds. Turning to Spain, he gathers a motley crew including indigenous slave Enrique (Amado Arjay Babon) and sets sail for the Spice Islands. A long, arduous journey tests his resolve as famine and unrest spread quickly throughout the ship. When they finally arrive to the Philippines, Magellan finds purpose in spreading the gospel of Christianity but encounters a resilient people unafraid to stand their ground. Told in his trademark long takes, Diaz fashions staggering tableaus rendered in vivid hues, partnering with co-cinematographer Artur Tort (PACIFICATION) to tell this monumental story of colonialism and resistance that premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. –Josh Gardner