Mel Gibson Pledges To Ease, Hollywoodize Suffering Of Native Costa Ricans
Mel Gibson's ongoing love affair with the indigenous peoples of Central America—whose untold histories are ripe for adaptation into factually iffy, hyperviolent big-screen adventures—continues. Not only has the Apocalypto director extended the borders of his Malibu empire to include a home on Costa Rica's Pacific coast, but he recently sat with the country's President to pledge his financial support for their native Indians:
"He wants to help the indigenous population here and wants to know how to channel the funds," President Oscar Arias told reporters outside his home, where he met with the 51-year-old actor-director for about an hour Monday.
Arias said Gibson, who directed last year's Mayan epic "Apocalypto," would return to Costa Rica next month to arrange details of his donation. [...]
He acknowledged buying a house in Guanacaste on the Central American nation's Pacific coast and jokingly asked reporters if they wanted the address.
As with a dinner with Panamanian tourism officials, we imagine Gibson's new Costa Rican neighbors will be eager to pitch projects to the high-profile resident and benefactor. Still, aspiring local screenwriters may be disappointed to learn, upon ringing his Guanacaste doorbell to deliver a basket filled with local produce and a copy of their script, that the last thing Gibson is interested in exploring is "a native Costa Rican take on What Women Want," having his heart set instead on a 9-page treatment outlining a 90-minute, real-time flaying to death of a single Indian by Spanish Conquistadors.
