Mandy
(THE GRUDGE Berlin Screening - December 16, 2004)

I was asked to write a few lines about my meeting with Sarah Michelle Gellar. Well, it wasn't actually a meeting - I'd call it more an unforgettable experience with her! But let me start right from the beginning...

Here comes the good part.....

I live in Berlin and when I heard about Sarah coming to town I was more than happy! This would maybe be the only possibility to meet my star in a long, long time. So I didn't think twice and tried to find as much information about the event as I could.

December, 16th was the day: When I had finished school for that day I immediately made my way to Potsdamer Platz - the place I should meet Sarah. For my surprise I was the first and remembered myself about the fact that this was a tiny premiere of "The Grudge" ( a special fan screening as they called it) and probably wasn't in the newspapers or TV. While I was waiting I met a very nice guy from the staff who was working on the red carpet. He came to me and we talked - somehow the topic about the tickets for the screening came up and he gave me two cards for the cinema! Okay, my heart jumped 'cause now I also had the possibility to see Sarah in the theater saying a few words.

Well I was waiting and waiting and one of the nice characterizations of December is its coldness - God I was freezing like hell, but my imagination of meeting Sarah made my heart warm ; )! I met some fans of Sarah and together we waited in front of the cinema. Sarah was announced to come around 7.50 p.m. As I heard later on Sarah was sleeping in the Ritz/Calton Hotel just a few meters away and had already given some autographs in front of the building - she was quoted as "More later at the premiere!" So I was again very happy that maybe my dream would come true!

And then the moment came: Sarah was driven near the red carpet. It was a dark limo and Sarah finally got out of the car. She was soooooo beautiful and my first reaction was: "Oh my God - she has a ponytail today!" She looked gorgeous! And immediately Sarah began to write autographs on printed pictures or magazines. One girl even gave her some flowers and Sarah thanked her very sweetly. Then she came in my direction and signed some pics. Afraid of not getting an autograph I said: "Sarah please, this would mean so much to me!" Which was true - it meant and still means so much to me!! Sarah was in a hurry so my autograph looks more like S..M..Ge.. but who cares - it's SARAH MICHELLE GELLAR!!! ; ) My friend was with me but she was too small to reach her so I thought it would be the best to take her picture and give it to Sarah. She saw the photo and next to it my signed pic. She looked right into my face, smiled and sad: "You already got one in your hands." I nodded and smiled, but then quickly realized that this was a misunderstanding and my friend and I both said: "No, it's for her/me!" But too late, Sarah went on in the row.

When she had finished writing Sarah entered the press room and posed for the cameras while I was running upstairs to the theatre. Fortunately I found a seat in the second row - normally the worst place in a cinema but I thought about seeing Sarah when she would come. So I sat down and saw that I only had one or two photos left and I decided to change the film. While I was doing this Sarah entered and I finished right when she was standing and waited for the applause to end. When it finally did Sarah said:

"I hope my voice is loud enough that all of you can hear me. My German is not very good but I hope that you have fun with the movie and enjoy it as much as we did making it!"

Then a guy sad that actually we would have been able to listen to her longer as she was supposed to have a little talk, but Sarah had some very important appointments to keep so she couldn't stay.

That was my 'meeting' with Sarah! I felt and still feel like the happiest girl in town because she smiled at me when she saw my camera (so I have a great photo of her at home) and when she noticed my autograph! She was so nice and looked more than beautiful that this was one of the best things which has happened to me ever!

Oh and the movie...don't go home alone!!