With help from a friend, Gibson cuts to the chase

December 15, 2006 Safinia, who got his start with Gibson in early 2004 when he served as his assistant during the postproduction and marketing odyssey of "The Passion of the Christ," just happened to be in the right place at the right time. After Gibson took time off following "Passion," the director started having long talks with Safinia about their mutual love of movies and what excites them about moviemaking. The R-rated film, which centers on one man's struggle to save himself and his family as the Mayan kingdom crumbles around him, reimagines the chase scene.

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