A still from ‘Magellan’.
| Photo Credit: Janus Films
The trailer of Gael Garcia Bernal starrer historical adventure film, Magellan, was unveiled by the makers on November 18, 2025. The film, written and directed by Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz, is based on the life of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan and had its premiere earlier this year at the Cannes Film Festival where it gained critical acclaim.
The two-minute trailer introduces Bernal as Magellan as he leads a fleet of ships for the first voyage across the Pacific ocean to Southeast Asia in Philippines. A voice-over declares that the territorial conquest is the furthest from anything Christians have done before.
Magellan is painted as a man driven by a love for power and wealth as he takes on the journey across the sea. The trailer shows how the conquest led to the massacre of the local people painting a grim picture of colonialism. The film is also filled with breathtaking visuals of the sea and the natural beauty of the island.
As per the synopsis, Magellan portrays the colonisation of Philippines as a “primal, shocking encounter with the unknown”. It also stars Ângela Azevedo, Amado Arjay Babon, Dario Yazbek Bernal in key roles and was selected as Philippines’ official entry to the 98th Academy Awards for Best International Feature Film.
The film is produced by Joaquim Sapinho, Marta Alves, Albert Serra, Montse Triola, Paul Soriano, Mark Victor and will be released in theatres in NY and LA on January 9 next year.
Lav Diaz is known for making long narrative films with minimalistic storytelling that blends long takes while exploring complex socio-political issues. His work received larger recognition with the 2013 psychological drama Norte, the End of History, which was screened in Un Certain Regard at the Cannes Film Festival.
Published – November 19, 2025 02:19 pm IST
