Lav Diaz's 'Magellan' starring Gael Garcia Bernal earns 5-minute standing ovation in Cannes

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Lav Diaz's "Magellan," which was presented at the 78th Cannes Film Festival as part of its Cannes Premiere Selection, earned a five-minute standing ovation after it was shown at the Debussy Theatre in the Croissette.

Starring no less than award-winning Hollywood actor Gael Garcia Bernal as the Portuguese explorer Ferdinand Magellan, who died in the Philippines in 1521, the film by the trailblazing Filipino auteur paints an intimate, artistic, and haunting portrait of a man facing his own demons.

Known for his long feature films, Diaz trims the film into barely three hours and after eight years of research, makes a bold statement that "there is no Lapu-lapu."

"We need to start discussing that. I'm not saying that I am right, but I think I'm near the truth on that. I can challenge anybody. I am sure it is going to be controversial in our country, but kailangan. We need to have a dialogue about the past," he explained in our exclusive interview right after the screening here in Cannes.

"The biggest pathology of the Filipino is our mythmaking. We need to re-examine our past continually," he added.

The film retraces Magellan's final months leading to his death on Mactan Island in April 1521.

The artistically well-made film also faced challenges not only with the natural elements of water, wind, and fire but more.

"Lahat ng hirap ginawa namin. We worked on it for eight years. So, the research, the negotiations with the production people, both from Europe and in the Philippines. So, it was like Magellan. It was a journey. How do we get there? That was the challenge," he said.

So, what did he discover more about Magellan in his eight years of research, we asked.

"We need to go back," Diaz said. "There's a need to re-examine the past. And it's emblematic of the ailment of our culture. If we don't go back, it will be a great cultural debacle. We should go back, examine our past, re-examine and re-examine it. Kailangan nating makilala ang bayan natin, ang pagkatao natin, ang daming pagkakamali. Mythmaking ang sakit ng buhay natin."

He said, "We need to talk to people. We need to be truthful and authentic about the past. When we were pintados, we were naked. We were pure. We need to go back."

As for working with Bernal, he said, "He was great. Talagang he was into it. He was doing method acting then. Look at him now. He is so different. He was Magellan. He is Magellan. We got there—from the mud, to the mosquitoes, to the dirty waters. We are now here."

Bernal, for his part, told us how he dealt with the rains while they were filming it in the Philippines.

"There was a lot of rain all the time, but that was hey, it's part of the ecosystem. It's part of the beauty of the Philippines. When we were shooting in Sampaloc we had a beautiful time there with the great actors. So, it was fantastic to be there. We had a really good time there and we had a lot of the pancit, ube, keso, and pandesal."

As for working with Diaz for the first time, he said, "It was really amazing and nice. We really had a good time with him. It was so interesting."

The other members of the talented cast included Angela Azevedo (Beatriz, Magellan's wife), Amado Arjay Babon (Enrique), Bong Cabrera (Raja Kulambo), Ronnie Lazaro (Raja Humabon), Hazel Orencio (Reyna Juana), among others.

Producer Paul Soriano, who is a big supporter of Diaz, said of the five-minute standing ovation, "It's a great feeling. When you're able to be part of a great experience, and in this case working with Lav again, it is great to see Lav being the captain of the ship. Now, here we are in Cannes with 'Magellan.' We couldn't be happier to represent the Philippines as always."

"Magellan" is the only Filipino feature film showing in Cannes this year.

Soriano proudly said, "I know, that's fantastic. Anytime the work we do back home is recognized outside the country, it's always an honor. It's great to be here in Cannes. The cinema is serious business here. It's great to see sold-out cinemas, the big screen, everyone just enjoying movies. Look, it's already almost two in the morning and we're still here enjoying cinema, so it's a fantastic experience."

So what were the challenges he encountered as a producer, we asked.

"Oh, every time I produce a film, the challenges are endless, but it's the passion that keeps me going. And working with a captain like Lav, getting to work with Gael, who's just as professional and we were able to also collaborate with Portugal and Spain.

"So, it was really fantastic. And of course, the support back in the Philippines with the people really supporting the film. We also shot a lot back in the Philippines, in particular in Sampaloc, Quezon. So, we were there, and it's well put together. And finally, the movie is out.

"I guess just like every other successful journey, you need to have a great team, and I think that's what we had in this film."

So, does he see more collaborations with international productions in the future?

"I think definitely where cinema is today, it's more global than ever. And the Filipinos are worldwide talents. Lav has always been championing our films ever since and getting to work with an international star like Gael was also very eye-opening. And yeah, it's something I'd love to do more of, tell more stories about the Philippines to the world. It's a dream. And it's always great to be living in that dream."

Soriano was also all praises for working with Bernal. He said, "Working with Gael, I learned that he is the ultimate professional. You could see how serious he is about his craft. It's not easy for someone like Gael to just come to the Philippines and get into it, and he was just so immersive, working with Lav.

"They had camaraderie. It was a joy to produce, and we would have many conversations on the phone or through text messages, making sure that he was as comfortable as he could be to be able to portray Magellan because it's a difficult role, and for him to be also in unfamiliar surroundings.

"I was just always telling him to embrace it because Magellan was always after the unknown, and he did fantastically. Lav captured his character very well. It's something very unique and interesting. Hopefully, people back home will enjoy it.

"Gael enjoyed it in the Philippines. He actually came back twice. We shot the first leg, and we shot the second leg, And I know he wants to come back again, hopefully when the film premieres in the Philippines.

"I'd love to invite Gael to come over and experience more Filipino food, the Filipino hospitality, of course, and the people who are behind the film. I mean the Filipino team, the Filipino crew, and some of the executives who helped bring the film together.

"I'd like to thank, actually, Senator Loren Legarda. She was one of the executive producers who was just a champion of Philippine cinema and the arts back home. So, I know she's very excited to bring the film back home and to show it to all the Filipinos. And we're very excited to actually bring Magellan home very soon. Hopefully, sometime this year. And yeah, we're just very excited for our kababayans to also watch the movie."

This is obviously the "short" version of Lav, we pointed out. So, is he planning to do the longer nine-hour version, which he originally planned?

"This is the Cannes premiere version. You know how Lav is. It's always evolving, right? So, he does want to revisit it. There are still more stories about the journey that he wants to tell. And I'll leave it up to Lav because he's the master at that." —MGP, GMA Integrated News