Cuba: Benicio del Toro wins prize for his career

Thursday July 30, 09:39 PM HAVANA (AP) - Benicio del Toro received an award on Thursday, the Cuban Government for foreign artists, in a simple ceremony in Havana in the presence of actors James Caan, Robert Duval and Bill Murray, who sang "A Kiss is Just A Kiss." The Union of Writers and Artists of Cuba (UNEAC) gave the first Puerto Rican Bull Award Tomas Gutierrez Alea by all of his career, including the lead role in the film "Che" by Steven Soderbergh about the Argentine revolutionary Ernesto Guevara, who helped Fidel Castro to seize power in 1959. The film was a success on the island, where the public filled the movie theaters. Murray enjoyed the competition _ the majority members of the union of artists _ grabbing a microphone, singing and then, jokingly, to a player's hat to collect money for the pianist. He said later that one of the things I liked most of the island were the old cars that abound in the streets in Cuba. "I love cars," said Murray, referring to the huge orders of Chevrolet, Ford and other American classics from the 50s. Del Toro was in Havana on a trip no Linked to coincide with a visit of four days of Murray, Caan and Duval, who are in the Cuban capital in a professional investigation and were invited to attend the ceremony. The award given to del Toro was named after the late Cuban filmmaker Tomas Gutierrez Alea, who directed over 20 films, ranging from defending the revolution and use a keen sense of humor to criticize it. Gutiérrez Alea died in 1996. Del Toro, who won the Oscar as supporting actor for his role in "Traffic," Cuban said the award made her feel "proud and small at the same time." Tomás Gutiérrez Alea has a stature I feel so small next to him, "he said. Average (Not Rated)