Madrid report 3 (the girls meet Jake and Duncan), and Berlin gets ready as Jake Gyllenhaal, Duncan Jones and Source Code (and me) arrive

This is a veritable European smorgasbord of a post... I'm in Berlin, Jake Gyllenhaal's in Berlin (admittedly not in the same part of Berlin but what's a few miles?), Jake was in Rome, Carlota and Eureka were in Madrid, Jake was in Madrid. I was in London, Jake may well be moving on to London with Duncan Jones. This might be a good point to bring out the atlas. This post therefore combines Carlota's account from Madrid, which goes so well with yesterday's report from Eureka, along with some pictures of Jake at his Berlin hotel today and at a restaurant in Rome. I'm sure you'd agree that it would be an enormous shame not to include some of my happy snapping tourist pictures from a sunny Berlin as well. OK, you've talked me in to it.


Over to Carlota! 'What could I add to what has already been so perfectly said by Eureka? Not much, probably just my own excitement and a couple of cool things that took place and that helped to make that day even more special, if possible. The photo call experience was only the beginning. As Eureka pointed out, Carmen noticed there were photographers in a patio outside so she asked if we were allowed to go out and then come back for the press conference, and they said it was cool, but that we had to be fast. Fast? Fast and furious, we said to ourselves. So we went outside where the photographers were waiting for our guys and we found a good spot to "work". It was a team collaboration … Like SWAT … We stayed closer to where the guys were going to pose, next to a nice stone stair. Nervous, anxious … when suddenly Jake did the nice entrance Eureka mentioned in her review. Gorgeous. Splendid. Smiley. He was joined by Duncan a few seconds later and joked between them, giving great shots to the photographers who didn't stop telling their names to get their attention. Carmen found a good spot on a nearby stair, to record the photo call on video, and she waved Jake at one point, getting a fun wave back, Jake showing Duncan where he had to wave too :)'


'When the photo call was over, we ran to the press conference room. Third row. Jake's side :) The guys appeared and we couldn't believe our luck. Well, you have already seen the video of the press conference so there's no need to describe how it was :) To ask something you had to raise your hand to get a mike given by one of the assistants. There were credited journalists asking their questions and at one point Carmen raised her hand to get the chance to ask. If you see the press conference video, you will hear her voice :) She was the first person who talked to them directly in English and also the first one to congratulate them on the film, saying that in her opinion the film deserved to be seen "at least … n times!" It was great to see them laugh with her comment and hearing Duncan saying "I agree to that!" :D'


'At the end of the press conference, we stood up and went closer to the security line -we thought they were going to be rushed outside- but even though Duncan left, Jake stayed with us to sign and take pictures with their fans. We approached him and jeez … when you catch his attention you can tell you CATCH HIS ATTENTION. And you notice because suddenly his big blue eyes are staring at you and that's the precise moment when you lose all the ability to speak.'

'We told him that we had a little something for him, a tiny little compendium of typical spanish recipes "our family style" and he looked so pleased with it. It was fantastic to see him paying attention to the details of the cover. We told him we hoped he had the chance to try them and he enthusiastically said "Of course I will try them!" :) Then we asked him for a picture and Eureka took the document you have already seen, where we two appear as the dumbest version of ourselves … but also the happiest!'


'My mom, who is a huge Moon's fan, had crocheted a sackboy version of Sam Bell's replica for Duncan that tried to give him with no luck when he was awarded at Sitges movie festival. Since he left the press conference room and our main target was to meet Jake, we missed our chance to give it to him. But a kinda fairy grandmother who works in the production company that brought the guys to Madrid fell in love with the crocheted Sam Bell and said she was going to find a way for me to give it to him. I was very excited but also in panic because I had lost my voice -I had a severe laryngitis- and at that point I sounded like Don Corleone making an offer nobody could refuse … but I couldn't miss the chance to give it to him personally, to tell my mom what was his face in the moment of facing her creature! :)'


'So after the last roundtable interview, I entered the room and talked to him. I wished my mom could have seen his face when I showed him tiny Sam Bell … he was so sweet , cool and enthusiastic. He said "oh my god, who has made this???" and I told him the story. I also told him I had a gift for Rodene, because she had retwitted a door knob hanger that I designed for my store in the net. He told me to give it to her, and then I saw her on my back. She was very nice and beautiful. She was also amazed by tiny Sam Bell and gave her own camera to a crew member to take a picture of the two of them next to our Sam Bell, Carmen -who was told to enter- and I. Duncan said he has the moonman's suit in his house, in a pedestal, and that he was going to put a smaller pedestal next to it to place our Sam Bell. Wasn't it the sweetest thing ever??? We shook his hand, and wished him the best and we thanked us again for the gift. He's such a charismatic person and has this special light that only a few have.'


'The rest of the episode has been perfectly documented by Eureka so I can only add that, if you ever have the chance to meet Jake and hesitate because you are shy or you don't know what to say, I would highly encourage you to forget about it and go ahead. He makes things so easy and makes you feel special because he focuses his attention on you, when you are talking. Showing that he cares what you are telling him with his amazing eyes, which not only are beautiful … it's the way he stares what makes them really unique.'

Audio and video from this amazing Madrid adventure will follow, when I'm back with my 'proper' beast of a laptop in a couple of days. Here come the WDW interlude pictures...


I didn't take up an opportunity to pose with Darth Vader and a Native American Chief at the Brandenburg Gate.


The DDR cafe features a little bit of the Berlin Wall as well as a bit of the original Reichstag. And a car. Maybe coffee.


Checkpoint Charlie...



I'm off now to see the screening with Jake and Duncan and some other WDW readers - at this theatre. Yep, it is a theatre, and not a building site...



Includes pictures from IHJ, Carlota and WDW.