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Here are some artices from this month's magazine:

The Hannibal Run - Danny Wood’s epic journey following the famous warrior
Granny Knows best - Find the best-value food in town by following a senior citizen!
Eire Force - We meet some of Madrid's Irish residents
Jonny Foreigner - Jonathan Mellor talks about starring in horror hit [REC] 2
Isabel Coixet - The Catalan filmmaker on her new Penélope Cruz-featuring artwork

The Hannibal run

Former Madrid correspondent Danny Wood has just completed a mammoth cycle journey following Hannibal’s trail through Spain and Europe for a new BBC TV series. Here he tells Jeff Wiseman about his painstaking preparation, high adventure, and kindred company

"Mont Blanc was probably the most difficult,” says former Madrid correspondent Danny Wood looking back at the mammoth European cycle ride he undertook with his two brothers, Ben and Sam, late last year. “[It] made me understand what marathon runners say about 10 per cent physical and 90 per cent mental effort. I really felt like giving up after 30 minutes, but still had a 90-minute climb ahead of me.”
The trio’s entire odyssey took ten weeks, stretched from Cartagena to Carthage and was recorded as a series for BBC TV. But despite hardships such as having to cycle an average of 100 kilometres per day en route, the longest struggle was getting the green light for the series in the first place.
“From proposal to approval, it took two years,” Danny says. “Sam came up with the idea, which was to combine cycling with history by following the ancient route taken by Hannibal in 218BC, when he famously led the Carthaginians against the Romans. It covered Spain, France, the Alps, Italy and finally Tunisia. But in TV you have to find the right guy to pitch an idea to, and even that was difficult.”
Danny, Ben and Sam have shared an interest in ancient history since childhood, and one motive for this epic expedition, aside from highlighting the sites and story, was the family angle. Hannibal travelled with his own brothers, Hasdrubal and Mago.

Calling Madrid
Until recently Danny was a BBC correspondent in Madrid, covering stories such as the 2004 train bombings and David Beckham’s time at Real. “I lived in the city for seven years, and was on call for the news gathering department. Unfortunately when Beckham left, the media attention on the capital shifted away. For the Hannibal proposal, by pure chance I happened to meet a programme commissioner at a Broadcasting Conference in Madrid, and it developed from there.”
The first obligation was to produce a 40-page treatment, containing text and photos, to show they had a clear concept. A reconnaissance trip to the Pyrenees, already undertaken, helped them considerably.
As a journalist, Danny was more familiar with TV than either Ben, a computer programmer, or Sam, an archaeologist who worked at the British Museum. However, the museum connection assisted their credibility—it was there they filmed a teaser of the planned documentary for their BBC pitch. “It didn’t look as though we were three Anglo Australians without a clue,” jokes Danny. Anticipatory research continued, despite uncertainty. “Everyone was talking positively, but we were worried that it could be TV-speak, saying something was wonderful when in reality it goes nowhere.”
The cycling practice was essential, with Ben and Sam, based in Sydney and London respectively, the more experienced. Most of Danny’s training took place in Madrid. “A typical route was to Miraflores and the Sierra. The Casa de Campo was ideal too, because it has decent climbs, and I trained with a friend, Mark, who’s an experienced cyclist, and runs the Barrio Alto bar in La Latina.”

All systems go
After all their hopeful efforts, the brothers eventually got the green light and were joined by a BBC director, cameraman, and fixer/location manager for the start. The remit was six half-hour episodes, and the relationships with the crew were to be very harmonious. “The BBC was in tune with our vision, and happily the cameraman was Madrid-based John Bretherton, who I’d worked with before. The director changed every two episodes, but the same cameraman meant the shooting style remained constant, and in the end it worked exceptionally well.”
Early on it was decided to give each brother a distinct colour—Danny always wore a green T-shirt, Sam was red and Ben was blue. The on-screen branding works well, providing instant “Captain Scarlet”-style recognition, although Danny confesses they did stand out somewhat. “You felt a bit like a UFO,” he grins.

Men and beasts
They set off from Cartagena last September, cheered by members of the local Carthaginian Association in period costume. The Spanish leg of the journey included Elche, Alicante, Benidorm, Denia, Valencia, Tarragona and Barcelona, as well as lots of little-known archaeological sites. “Towards the beginning, coming out of Alicante, we had to use a long dark road tunnel and we couldn’t see a thing. We were all thinking: ‘I hope it’s not all going to be like this!’”
Hannibal originally took 37 elephants on his campaign, and while budget constraints ruled out even one animal for the Woods, Valencia zoo provided an elephant encounter. “Elephants are incredibly obedient and affectionate, and go wherever their masters go. Budgets aside, it may have worked in the Alps, but not in the traffic. And believe me we met some crazy drivers. We all agreed the Spanish were the best. The worst, I have to say, were the French.”
The coolest part of the day was desired for both filming and cycling. “We’d film in the morning, and then have to ride in the afternoon in incredible heat.” Countless pizzas and pasta in Italy, and muesli bars throughout, were consumed to maintain energy levels. As the trip progressed, they found themselves at the Camp Nou to see Barcelona play Atlético Madrid (‘Barca’ was Hannibal’s family name, believed to mean ‘thunderbolt’, but evidence connecting him with the city name is at best anecdotal). They also traversed swamps, made wine, and had philosophical discussions with Tunisian politicians.
And along the way the brothers found time to maintain an entertaining blog, www.woodbrothers.tv, which compares their adventures with those of Hannibal, and is supported by excellent photos. It’s a perfect way to glimpse their exploits before the documentary is broadcast in the autumn.

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Granny knows best

If you want to know the best-value places to eat, they say, watch where the old people go. So Judith Alzola thought she’d give it a try by following Madrid’s senior citizens to their lunch haunts of choice…

The fact Madrid is one of the cities with the most bars and restaurants per square metre in Europe can turn a simple decision into a sea of doubts. Where should we have our cañas? Will the tapas meet my expectations? How can we be sure we are making the right move? There are no guarantees. Well, that’s what I thought until a friend of mine told me the way to find the best places to eat in Madrid without the need for a guidebook or sheer luck. “It’s quite simple,” they said, “follow the elderly.” It may sound a fairly unattractive plan for a Sunday day out, but my friend assured me that finding a bar packed to its door with old men and women was an omen for spectacular meals and prices. And so I decided to put their advice to the test, though first I had to figure out a few problems myself….

Step 1: Where to find an elder?
Due to Spain’s alarmingly low birth-rate and growing longevity it’s not difficult to spot ageing citizens anywhere in Madrid. Nevertheless, the best area is the city centre where the oldest buildings and neighbourhoods are located—La Latina, Chamberí, Salamanca, and so on.

Step 2: When to follow an elder?
Finding a senior does not mean he/she is necessarily poised to hop into a bar. You must use your intuition and common sense. Older Madrileños are fond of their Sunday aperitivo—a light bit of drinking (usually a beer, vermouth or wine) accompanied by a light bit of eating (olives, tortilla or patatas bravas)—which they usually take after mass at around 1pm. So try to loiter outside one of the city centre’s churches around this time and just hook up.

Step 3: Don’t be afraid to ask
It’s well known that pensioners in Madrid are always willing to have a little chat. However, be warned: they’re not so willing to share the whereabouts of their favourite gastronomical temples. So, do not ask them where to go; only once you’re inside the bar can you safely ask about recommended dishes or drinks. It’s only then that you will be considered an equal.

Senior No 1
My own experience began close to Bilbao metro station. After wandering around the block for a while I found my first target: a senior in his 70s, three-piece suit, fedora hat and immense bifocals—perfect! He headed to Calle de Cardenal Cisneros and stepped into a bar named El Paisano. I took a peek: long bar, Serrano ham hanging over rows of bottled red wine and a poster I was to come across repeatedly during my granny-stalking odyssey: “Si quieres disfrutar comiendo un montón, pide pimientos del Padrón” (“If you want to feed up joyfully, eat pimientos del Padrón”). Fair enough.
My target ordered a cup of red wine and asked for a suckling pig to take away. I ordered a caña (€1.30) and looked at the menu, which included the classic raciones, bocadillos and smoked canapés, along with suckling pig and grilled lamb to take away—all at acceptable prices. As he waited for his order, the waiter brought our tapas: two plates of torreznos (fried pork fat), which he wolfed down as joyfully as you can eat a pimiento del Padrón. Afterwards he ordered some ham and more wine, which made me think that by the end of the day, that 70-year-old man would probably have eaten one and a half pigs. All in all, the bar was a familiar, comfortable and a cheap aperitivo establishment.

Senior No 2
Not all of Madrids’ elderly are into ham, lamb and other carnivore habits. Some of them go absolutely gaga over shellfish. Not far from Quevedo metro station, in Calle de Magallanes, I shadowed a round, bald pensioner into a restaurant called Marisquería Camariñas. A good sign was that everybody seemed to know each other and even though the place had a separate room with tables for formal meals, customers still preferred eating at the bar. Camariñas’ speciality is fresh seafood and, as my fellow consumers told me, the thing to do was order a cup of white wine and check the chalkboards installed over the bar before making any final decisions. Products and prices change daily depending on the fish market, so you have to be aware about the day’s deals. Among the possibilities on my visit were octopus (€18), cockles (€10) or oysters on ice with a twist of lemon (€2 per unit). A fresh and fun atmosphere in a hectic bar.

Senior Shangri-La
If a restaurant full of senior citizens is a mark of something potentially special, then one with a queue of them at the door is surely a big flashing neon arrow to culinary Shangri-La for all granny chasers out there. That is exactly what I found around 2pm at the entrance to La Sanabresa on Calle de Amor de Dios (Metro: Antón Martín). This petit restaurant opens its doors from Monday to Saturday, filling up every single day. Three speedy waiters take the orders from the never-ending menu. There are 50 dishes among four different menus you can choose from (€9.50, €10.50, €15 or €25); all of them including first course, second course and dessert. Customers eat fast, tip regularly and vacate their seat for the next lucky customer.
The surprising variety in the menu (delicious fried aubergines, vegetable stew or fried liver, just to name a few), its modesty and pragmatism make La Sanabresa a genuine discovery. You end up leaving with the sudden urge to become a regular.

So, what are you waiting for? It’s time to get granny stalking—the steps are easy to follow and it is mischievous fun! After all, we all know that when it comes to providing nourishment, grannies have always known best.

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Jonny Foreigner
Nick Funnell talks to Madrid-based British actor Jonathan Mellor, star of 2009’s smash-hit Spanish horror [REC] 2, about acting in español, demonic possession and getting his head smashed 60 times against the floor

Here’s something you probably didn’t know: one of the most entertaining and highest-grossing Spanish films of last year featured an Englishman in a lead role. Liverpool-born Jonathan Mellor starred in horror hit [REC] 2, the sequel to the shaky-cam style 2007 movie about a mysterious “plague” that turns the inhabitants of an Barcelona apartment block into zombies. A more action-oriented movie, it features Mellor as Catholic priest Dr Owen, who’s sent in with a team of SWAT guys to investigate the events of the first film. Mellor’s been based in Madrid for the past ten years, before that studying English at Oxford, where he performed alongside future British comedy stars such as Stewart Lee, Richard Herring and Armando “In the Loop” Iannucci, then working as a teacher and actor in Yorkshire and London. Arriving here, he taught English and, after encouragement from a colleague, gradually started nudging his way into roles in Spanish theatre, TV and film, culminating with his appearance in [REC] 2. The role counts as a significant achievement for a British actor in Spain, putting him alongside the likes of Geraldine Chaplin in that exclusive category of native English-speakers to have made a mark on Spanish cinema.

I’ve read they were looking for unknown faces with [REC] 2...
They were looking for a foreigner with a mean face, who could do a bit of acting. And I went in and did my casting. And it went very well because I prepared it as a piece of theatre, which you can’t do in these horrible bloody ad castings. It was very funny because when I got on to set and met the other actors, they said, “It must have been tough for you—the auditions and stuff, doing it in another language. I was two hours in Madrid and I had another three hours in Barcelona.” And I said: “Yeah, really tough. The whole 17 minutes of it!”

Tell me a little bit about the character you play
Originally he had an Italian name which was just an excuse [for directors Jaume Balagueró and Paco Plaza] to put the name of one of their producers in there. And I said I could do it but I’m not going to look very good in Italian. So we turned him into something else—into Dr Owen. Christopher James Owen—but that’s never named, that was my name. I had to do a lot of backstory for my character because we didn’t get a lot of that. Because it’s an action film, rather than anything else, the directors spent more time choreographing the stunts and the effects and left the actors to their own devices. So my character is the supposed expert who knows about this virus and how’s it spreading. As soon as he gets in there he starts pulling down his own façade. Eventually he has to explain to the SWAT guys that it’s all a religious thing and he’s directly from the Vatican and it’s not a virus, it’s a case of possession. But there’s a scientific element as well because they claim that they’ve found the actual physiological and chemical cause of demonic possessions.

So what is the backstory to your character?
He went to a public school, I’m pretty sure, in the north of England—a Catholic public school. I had him down as a sort of Jesuit, into the scientific exploration of things as well, so not purely devout, which is why he has this dual character—he is actually a scientist.

Were you telling the filmmakers all this stuff you were coming up with?
No. What they did do, which was very disconcerting—and it wasn’t a plan—was that Paco would come to me and say, “Your character here is totally calm. He’s got the situation exactly where he wants it. He knows what he’s doing.” And then Jaume would come up to me from the other side and say “Right, listen, here your character is losing it completely. He doesn’t know what the fuck’s going on. He’s totally scared.” First, I tried to give them a bit of both. And at the end when one of them came to me and started giving me a direction, I’d say, “Have you talked to the other one?” He said, “But we don’t disagree!” “At the end of the day you don’t disagree, but you’re telling me completely opposite things!” So I don’t think it was a game they were playing with the actors. I think it was like seeing two sides of the same brain working.

It’s a pretty gory film, with buckets of blood everywhere. What was it like working with all of that?
I don’t know if it’s because we were filming at night, but it always seemed to make sense. None of it felt out of place—all this blood and guts and stuff. What you see in the final product is this continuous waterfall, or “bloodfall”. Of course, it’s not like that on set because you’re constantly stopping and starting and resetting. It was pretty spooky seeing la niña Medeiros the first time on set.

How is it acting in Spanish? Are you used to it now?
No, I’m not! I speak better Spanish than I seem to speak in the film. I don’t know if it was because of nerves, I don’t know if it was because of the situation, I don’t know if it’s because it’s what the directors really, really did want and were happy to let me... My character had a lot of the weight of the explanation of the text—the scientific and religious explanation. And every time they changed the text—which they changed quite frequently, sometimes even between takes—they’d end up making it more difficult for me, putting more awkward words to say.

What was it like being the guiri on set?
It was fine. [Though] they did put me in hospital! We choreographed a fight and four or five blows were written into the script of my head hitting the ground. And because we were in a tiny space and it’s so close, it can’t be a model and it can’t be a stunt guy—it has to be my head. And because the camera has to be on the floor and it has to have the angle, it was the floor with a little bit of cushioning. And the cushioning got less and less because you could see it in the shot, so in the end, it was a thin bit of cushioning with my head against the ground. I don’t know how many rehearsals we did of it, but we shot that scene 12 times. So 12 times four or five... The slightest movement and you’d lose more than the directors wanted to make the shot work. The first assistant to the directors just came up to me and held my hand and when I squeezed that meant I was ready to go. And straight after that they took me to the hospital for an X-ray for my neck as a precaution, and the X-ray showed that my bones are breaking. Nothing to do with the film. Apparently, this has been deterioration for the past 30 years. I’m going to have an operation.

How have the Spanish press responded?
The thing is it hasn’t had the reception that I think that the first film had. It’s done very well in box office. Critically, I don’t think it’s been as well received, and I think that’s kind of to be expected. The first films was so new and fresh for Spanish audiences... All the actual lighting of actors’ faces and stuff is done by the actors in that film, which is an interesting thing. Why? Because they can’t light the set. And the justification of it is that these guys will go in with torches and their machine guns will have lights on them as well, and there’s a little thing called the concha, an LED reflective thing. Even when we’re on screen, actually in the shot, we are possibly lighting the other guy. There was virtually nothing else. I’m doing my lines here, but I’m lighting you with a torch that’s hidden down here.

Has this film opened doors for you as an actor?
No, not particularly. I’m not surprised I haven’t been called because my character, although he is one of the leads, it is such an ensemble piece with the five guys. It’s not about that character, it’s about the story. I’ve been recognised in the street a couple of times—“¡Oy, oy, matame tío!”

Tell me about your other projects...
My theatre project is back on track. The Pinter [Landscape and The Dumb Waiter] that we did last year at the Teatro Liberarte was kind of an experiment for me in one respect to see if I could work with the guys I wanted to work with. Now we have to do it again and get an audience. So that, and then lots of short films—a couple that are on the Notodo film fest now, one that I filmed before Christmas, another that I filmed last week—and my one day of filming with Cameron Diaz. Blink and you will miss me, but I am in Tom Cruise’s summer blockbuster. One of the things I want to do, is work out a way of doing some Shakespeare with these guys. I’ve got to cut my costs, but I think we can just find a niche there and say this isn’t am dram, this is real professional theatre. We don’t have to wait for Sam Mendes to come with The Bridge Project. Madrid can have its own professional English theatre.

Check out Jonathan’s short films at
www.notodofilmfest.com/ediciones/09/?lg=es&corto=22302 and www.notodofilmfest.com/ediciones/09/?lg=es&corto=24126

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