Mel Gibson & University Prof Exchange Angry Words
Posted March 24, 2007 12:00 pm.
This article is more than 5 years old.
What was supposed to be an erudite exchange of ideas descended into a war of words when an assistant professor at a California university posed some questions to filmmaker Mel Gibson about the accuracy of his depiction of Mayan culture in his film “Apocalypto”.
The actor-turned Oscar-winning director answered questions following a screening of his latest film Thursday night at California State University.
About 20 minutes into the Q&A session, assistant professor of Central American Studies Alicia Estrada accused Gibson of misrepresenting the Mayan culture.
The filmmaker hurled an expletive at the woman, who he claimed was a troublemaker, and she was removed from the room.
“Apocalypto” was released in December and follows the life of one man during the decline of the Mayan empire. The epic shows rulers slashing throats, beheading and ripping beating hearts out of chests of their enemies.
It’s accepted among many scholars that human sacrifice was part of the Mayan culture but some academics and activists refute that theory and believe accounts of such rituals have been overblown.
About 130 students attended Gibson’s screening Thursday. Estrada is demanding an apology “not only to me but to the Central American program at CSUN, to the university and most importantly to the Mayan people and Mayan community.”
“In no way was my question aggressive in the way that he responded to it,” she said.
“These are questions that my peers, my colleagues, ask me every time I make a presentation. These are questions I pose to my students in the classroom.”
Some students were also escorted out of the room after they refused to leave the microphone after posing their questions.
Gibson made headlines last summer after he made anti-Semitic remarks while he was being pulled over by police for drunk driving.
