Magellan

Lav Diaz – Portugal etc., 2025 – 163 minutes – languages spoken: Portuguese, Spanish, Tagalog, French, with English subtitles

1511: Magellan lands in Malacca, one of Malaysia’s primary trading and religious hubs. The Portuguese explorer’s journey has been long and punishing. Having braved hunger, violent storms and a mutinous crew, he is ready to secure his fortune. What follows is the ruthless conquest and plundering of the Malay archipelago by a man obsessed with converting Asian ‘heathens’ to Christianity – by force if necessary. Magellan’s actions on behalf of the Spanish king sow fear and trigger a series of violent uprisings; eventually, the situation spins out of control for the paranoid tyrant he has become.

For Magellan, master Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz cast a high-profile actor, Gael García Bernal, in the lead role for the first time. Bernal portrays both the human and monstrous sides of Magellan, shattering the myth – one that is still revered in Spain – of the stern but just coloniser. Since its release, the epic Magellan has been compared to anti-colonial classics such as Werner Herzog’s Aguirre, the Wrath of God (1972) and Gillo Pontecorvo’s Burn! (1969). As in Herzog’s portrait of the deranged Aguirre, nature plays a central role; through long takes of raindrops and flowers, Diaz allows the audience to immerse themselves in the lush jungle landscape. “The movie is often visually intoxicating, at moments gasp-out-loud ravishing, especially in its presentation of the natural world.” (New York Times)