On Tuesday night, TV3 viewers became aware of a catastrophe that never happened, but that narrowly escaped us. If you missed it, you can catch it on the 3Cat platform. The heroes of Vandellós I These are three chapters that, for their television broadcast, were condensed into a single documentary. A strategy that distorts the creative approach of the production. The story has an indisputable power. The protagonists who prevented a nuclear tragedy describe, in first person, the anguish and torment of seeing themselves on the brink of an explosion that at times seemed inevitable. But, in addition, the director, Álvaro Sanz, has an emotional involvement in the events. He is the son of one of these workers at the Vandellòs nuclear power plant and, therefore, has a very direct connection with many of the witnesses who appear in the documentary and the memories of the community. This aspect makes the viewer feel closer to the reality of the case.
The series is constructed from the combination of two plots. The first and most disturbing is that of the fire at the plant, the consequences within the facilities, and the emergency work. This section features graphics and shots that help the viewer grasp the more technical aspects of the disaster. The plant workers' communication skills are excellent. Furthermore, on television, the production features extraordinary recreations of the events with exceptional visual quality. The sequences of the flooding inside the plant and the extreme situations the workers experienced transport viewers to the anguish of the experience. Both the setting of the spaces and the fictionalization of the most critical situations are splendid. The only reassuring factor is that all the protagonists can explain them. Perhaps the documentary's introduction is overly dramatic in an attempt to captivate the audience.
The second plot consists of developing the history and sociology surrounding the nuclear plant, which is extremely interesting and includes magnificent archive footage. It constructs a portrait of a corner of Catalonia that many of us were unaware of and allows us to read between the lines the implications surrounding nuclear energy.
The way the weave is also impeccable crescendo narrative from the uncontrolled rise in the reactor's temperature. And it's very good how it underlines the contrast between the seriousness of the events and the way the information was downplayed for the public: "A fire without any nuclear risk."
Thirty-five years later, we discover how the truth was hidden from us and how close we were to it. Two reasons that make us think that perhaps the series would have deserved more promotional, television, and analytical emphasis.
