Latest news with #LavDiaz
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Nour Films Takes French Rights to Lav Diaz's ‘Magellan' Ahead of Cannes Premiere (EXCLUSIVE)
Sales agency Luxbox has closed a distribution deal for France with Nour Films on Lav Diaz's 'Magellan,' starring Gael García Bernal, which has its world premiere in the Cannes Premiere section of the Cannes Film Festival. The film, set in the 16th century, follows Magellan, a young and ambitious Portuguese navigator. He rebels against the power of the King of Portugal, who doesn't support his dream of discovering the world, and persuades the Spanish monarchy to fund his bold expedition to the fabled lands of the East. More from Variety Scarlett Johansson and Miles Teller Join James Gray's 'Paper Tiger,' Replacing Anne Hathaway and Jeremy Strong Mario Martone Talks Cannes-Bound 'Fuori' Starring Valeria Golino Who 'Was Imbued With the Spirit of Goliarda Sapienza' as First Clip Is Revealed (EXCLUSIVE) Variety Celebrates French Cinema at Pre-Cannes Dinner Hosted at Parisian Landmark Restaurant Laperouse The voyage is exhausting beyond expectations, with hunger and mutiny pushing the crew to their limits. Upon reaching the islands of the Malayan Archipelago, Magellan's mind changes. He becomes obsessed with conquest and conversion, which sparks violent uprisings beyond his control. The Nour Films team said in a joint statement: 'With rare evocative power, 'Magellan' stands out as a new masterpiece by Lav Diaz. The Filipino filmmaker delivers a pictorial fresco of the 16th century, at once a sensory immersion and an uncompromising political perspective on colonial violence. 'Gael García Bernal plays an unsettling Magellan, full of contradictions. His magnetic, restrained performance gives flesh to this mythical character, without ever sanctifying him. A monumental film that Nour Films is proud to support.' Nour Films was the distributor of Berlinale 2018 Golden Bear winner 'Touch Me Not,' Cannes 2023 Caméra d'Or winner 'Inside the Yellow Cocoon Shell,' Berlinale 2023 documentary 'Seven Winters in Tehran' and Berlinale 2024 Teddy Award winner 'All Shall Be Well.' The producer of 'Magellan' is Joaquim Sapinho at Rosa Filmes in Portugal. The co-producers are Andergraun Films (Spain), Black Cap Pictures (Philippines), Ten17P (Philippines), El Viaje Filmes (Spain), Volos Films (Taiwan), Lib Films (France) and AKP21 (France). Diaz's previous films include 'The Woman Who Left,' which won Venice's Golden Lion in 2016, and 'From What Is Before,' which won Locarno's Golden Leopard in 2014. Best of Variety New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz Oscars Predictions 2026: 'Sinners' Becomes Early Contender Ahead of Cannes Film Festival
Yahoo
28-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Lav Diaz to Direct ‘An Amazon' With Sine Olivia Pilipinas and Silverbelt Films Producing (EXCLUSIVE)
Filipino director Lav Diaz is in pre-production with 'An Amazon,' following the world premiere at the Cannes Film Festival of 'Magellan,' starring Gael Garcia Bernal. The project will be shot in Diaz's native Philippines. Diaz' Sine Olivia Pilipinas will produce the film with the French production company Silverbelt Films, founded by Pierre-Yves Bezat, who previously worked at Films Boutique. More from Variety Lav Diaz Opens Up About Rare Acting Role in Psychological Horror 'The Sacrifice,' First Look Unveiled (EXCLUSIVE) Nour Films Takes French Rights to Lav Diaz's 'Magellan' Ahead of Cannes Premiere (EXCLUSIVE) Lav Diaz's 'Magellan,' Starring Gael Garcia Bernal, Boarded by Luxbox Ahead of Cannes Premiere (EXCLUSIVE) The new film is based on a little known short story written by Alexandre Dumas. It will be the first film that Diaz will make in English, and will include some internationally well-known actors among its cast. 'An Amazon' is the story of a young man who meets a mysterious and masked woman during a ball. She refuses to disclose her identity, and swears to kill him if he reveals their affair. Bezat said: 'For 'An Amazon,' Lav Diaz was extremely inspired since our very first discussions around this deep and unknown story by Dumas, and the way it feels more contemporary than ever almost 200 years later.' According to Diaz, 'This Dumas story keeps striking me over and over again since we discussed this work with Pierre-Yves Bezat. The narration of 'An Amazon' has deep emotions and deep mystery around it, and is more contemporary than ever as our modern dictators' masks are cracking everyday.' 'An Amazon' will be shot at the end of this year, and is currently in the final stage of its financing. Diaz's previous films include 'From What Is Before,' which won Locarno's Golden Leopard in 2014, 'A Lullaby to the Sorrowful Mystery,' winner of Berlin's Alfred Bauer Award in 2016, and 'The Woman Who Left,' which won Venice's Golden Lion in 2016. Silverbelt Films, which was set up in January 2023, also distributes short films, including 'Free Drum Kit' by Carmen Leroi, selected in competition at Cannes' Critics' Week. Best of Variety 'Harry Potter' TV Show Cast Guide: Who's Who in Hogwarts? New Movies Out Now in Theaters: What to See This Week Emmy Predictions: Talk/Scripted Variety Series - The Variety Categories Are Still a Mess; Netflix, Dropout, and 'Hot Ones' Stir Up Buzz
South China Morning Post
18-05-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Cannes 2025: Magellan movie review – Gael García Bernal plays explorer in engrossing epic
4.5/5 stars The Cannes Film Festival may be hosting yet another virtual-reality programme this year, but the most immersive event on the Croisette in the French seaside city so far has been the premiere of an old-school, two-dimensional, three-hour movie filmed in the classic 4:3 aspect ratio. Revolving around its titular Portuguese explorer's expeditions to Southeast Asia in the early 16th century, Magellan is relentlessly engrossing – an epic in which viewers witness the distress, death and destruction brought about by one man's delusions of colonial conquest. By presenting Ferdinand Magellan as a dogmatic, slave-owning colonialist who brooks no dissent from his quixotic mission, Filipino auteur Lav Diaz and his Mexican lead actor Gael García Bernal have delivered a subversive portrait of a complicated figure who has long been mythologised as a benign bringer of enlightenment. Play Interestingly, Magellan also sets out to undermine the narrative about the explorer's misdeeds in Diaz's home country as well. Rather than sticking to the orthodox view of Magellan's death in the Philippines as a glorious victory against colonialism, Diaz depicts indigenous chieftains as scheming manipulators who use this pigheaded white man as a pawn for their own politicking.
South China Morning Post
08-04-2025
- Entertainment
- South China Morning Post
Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz on his latest 9-hour movie Magellan, and nearly dying
Earlier this year, Filipino filmmaker Lav Diaz had a near-death experience, and not for the first time. Advertisement He was editing his new film, Magellan, when he began vomiting blood. 'I almost died from tuberculosis. I vomited blood four times. It was scary,' he says. When we met for this interview, the 66-year-old was sitting in a hotel in Doha, Qatar. 'This is the first time that I've got out of the Philippines [since then],' he explains. 'I'm still on medication.' He seems entirely calm, but then he is no stranger to death. Right from the start, I knew that there was going to be a lot of rejection of my kind of cinema. Lav Diaz, Filipino filmmaker Born in Columbio, Mindanao, Diaz grew up in a world where you would need to walk miles to see a doctor, where everything from crocodiles to the common cold could kill. Advertisement He almost died 'at the age of four, the age of eight, and … in 2004 as well, I almost died of cancer. I still have the scars.'
Broadcast Pro
06-04-2025
- Entertainment
- Broadcast Pro
Qumra 2025 screens six films supported by Doha Film Institute
The selection includes narratives and documentaries from emerging and established filmmakers supported by DFI. Doha Film Institute has announced a lineup of seven feature films supported by the Institute for the Qumra 2025 screenings programme, running until April 9. These critically acclaimed works represent some of the most distinctive and bold independent voices in emerging cinema. Now in its 11th edition, Qumra continues to serve as a dynamic incubator for cinematic talent, presenting 49 projects from 23 countries, including several from Qatari and Qatar-based filmmakers. The programme underscores Qatar's growing creative footprint and the Institute's commitment to nurturing emerging storytellers. The Qumra 2025 Screenings will be open to the public, with tickets available for individual events or Qumra Passes granting access to the full programme—including masterclasses by an esteemed group of Qumra Masters 2025: acclaimed filmmakers and artists Lav Diaz, Darius Khondji, Walter Salles, Anna Terrazas, and Johnnie To. Fatma Hassan Alremaihi, Chief Executive Officer of the Doha Film Institute, said: 'Qumra 2025 Screenings highlights our ongoing commitment to powerful storytelling that pushes creative boundaries and amplifies diverse perspectives. These films present the artistic vision and technical expertise of emerging filmmakers from across the world who are making significant contributions to cinema. We are honoured to have supported their journey and to open doors to a wider audience for their films at Qumra.' Rising Up at Night (Democratic Republic of Congo, Belgium, Germany, Burkina Faso, Qatar) by Nelson Makengo examines the hope, disappointment and religious faith of Tongo Saa, a subtle and fragmented portrait of a population that despite its challenges is sublimated by the beauty of Kinshasa's nights. Moondove (Lebanon, Netherlands, Qatar) by Karim Kassem presents a poetic narrative set in a mountain village grappling with severe drought, where an annual theatrical tradition becomes a metaphor for broader societal changes. Red Path (Tunisia, France, Belgium, Poland, Saudi Arabia, Qatar) by Lotfi Achour tells the haunting story of young shepherd Achraf, whose life is forever changed after the traumatic death of his cousin. MA – Cry of Silence (Myanmar, South Korea, France, Singapore, Norway, Qatar) by The Maw Naing follows Mi-Thet, a young garment factory worker whose involvement in a labour strike awakens her political consciousness and connects her to Myanmar's complex history of resistance. East of Noon (Netherlands, Egypt, Qatar) by Hala Elkoussy weaves a satirical fable about artistic freedom and resistance through the story of Abdo, a musician challenging authority by creating art in a confined world. Demba (Senegal, Germany, Qatar) directed by Mamadou Dia charts how a man struggling with grief and depression with the anniversary of his wife's death nearing, finds solace reconnecting with his estranged son. The screenings will be held at the Museum of Islamic Art Auditorium.
