Magellan

A historical epic by Filipino director Lav Diaz — a master of multi-hour black-and-white films — who, to the surprise of his fans, made a big-budget color feature running “only” 160 minutes.

The film tells the story of the final months in the life of Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who died in the Philippines in 1521. “Instead of a heroic biopic about the man who completed the first circumnavigation of the globe, Diaz offers a meditative exploration of colonial violence and the protagonist’s inner demons. The director avoids historical clichés and mythologizing, emphasizing the brutality and absurdity of the very idea of civilization.” (KinoPoisk)