Toni Gonzaga, Paul Soriano attend 'Magellan' Cannes 2025 premiere
MANILA, Philippines — Celebrity couple Toni Gonzaga and Paul Soriano attended the Cannes Film Festival premiere of Lav Diaz's "Magellan" starring Gael Garcia Bernal as the titular Portuguese explorer.
Soriano's BlackCap Pictures is one of the co-producers on the film along with Rosa Filmes, Andergraun Films, and Volos Films.
The version of "Magellan" ("Magalhães" in Portuguese) that screened in Cannes out of competition is a nearly three-hour cut, with Diaz planning a full nine-hour version that will also involve Magellan's wife Beatriz, portrayed in the movie by Ângela Ramos.
"It's a film about how power intoxicates and the myth of discovery," Diaz said. "Here, Magellan is no hero, he is a man facing his own oblivion."
Ronnie Lazaro and Hazel Orencio, frequent collaborators of Diaz, have supporting roles in the film that was shot in the Philippines, Portugal, and Spain.
Reports say "Magellan" received a five-minute standing ovation after the credits rolled, with Diaz and Bernal embracing as the applause ended.
Magellan is best known for setting foot in the Philippines in 1521 and falling at the hands of Lapu-Lapu's fighters in Cebu. His remaining crew members became the first people to circumnavigate the globe.
Diaz previously premiered "Norte, Hangganan ng Kasaysayan" at the 2013 Cannes Film Festival's Un Certain Regard category, while his "Ang Hupa" premiered in Directors' Fortnight in 2019.
The 2025 Cannes Film Festival — where French actress Juliette Binoche serves as main jury president — runs from May 13 to 24.
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