Mel Gibson Honored

Mel Gibson was honored Thursday by a Latino business association for his "vision and courage" in bringing his latest movie, "Apocalypto," to the big screen later this year.Those in attendance during the Latino Global Business Conference and Digital Expo at the Beverly Hilton Hotel saw about 10 minutes of footage from the film, an action-adventure that tells of the rise and fall of the Maya culture.

Latin Business Assn. Chairman Rick Sarmiento, who has seen a cut of the film, due out Dec. 8, said it made him feel "extremely proud of everything having to do with my culture."Gibson discussed the challenges he faced in choosing to make a movie with relative unknowns. "It's tantamount to being at the Super Bowl and getting your quarterback from the audience," he said.But he praised the Mexican men, women and children who were cast in their roles, and did "phenomenal" work. The actors came from all walks of life — one worked in a juice bar, another was a kindergarten teacher. There did have a few things in common, Gibson said, including remarkable bone structure. "I was just jealous of all their hair lines," he joked. There is a seven-year-old girl who gives a key speech, he noted, "It was kinda scary, she's kinda like this prophetess."The cast, though, helped him achieve his goal: He wanted to avoid any feeling of a typical Hollywood production. At its essence, he said, "it's a film made by Mexicans" about their culture.