Catalan documentary series wins International Emmy Award

Catalan documentary series 'Point of No Return' – produced by public broadcaster 3Cat and directed by journalist Raül Gallego Abellán – has won the International Emmy Award for Best Short-Form Series.

The series pipped the other nominees from Chile, Australia and Japan to take home the gong on Monday night in New York at the 52nd edition of the awards, which celebrate the best television programs broadcast and produced outside the United States.

The prize underscores the quality and narrative power of the series, which take a fly on the wall approach to capture the unparalleled changes our world is experiencing, such as the  climate crisis, shifting geopolitical landscapes, rising populism, and the dawn of artificial intelligence.

The seven-part series of 20-minute episodes is narrated by the voices of its central characters themselves.

Competing with the best

"The award is for everyone involved in the series and especially for the producers who I worked with on the ground in each country." series creator, Raül Gallego said, also thanking his mother, brother and friends "who have supported me, especially in the most difficult moments, and who are the main fans of the series."

The challenge proposed by 3Cat and TV3, namely that of competing with the best international productions, has been "achieved," Gallego said.

"And we have achieved it with the first season, which has received other international awards and nominations, such as the Webby Awards, the Rory Peck Award, and the Picture of the Year Awards.

The director of TV3, Sigfrid Gras, celebrated the award, highlighting its importance for 3Cat. "This award is a recognition of Raül Gallego’s work, but it is also a collective triumph for 3Cat and for our public service commitment to high-quality and impactful documentary production," he said.

 3Cat's director of Innovation, Research and Digital Strategy, Cristina Villà, said: "one of the objectives of the 3Cat platform is to innovate in formats that bring public service content closer to citizens, adapting to new consumption habits, distributed with digital as a priority."

'Point of no return' is a short-format series that, with an "intimate and innovative" documentary narrative, reflects on the "irreversible transformation of humanity and the planet," she said.

Episodes are available in English on 3Cat's website.

About Raül Gallego

Raül Gallego Abellán worked with TV3 in Jerusalem from January 2003, from where he covered the Iraq War and the second intifada until 2005.

He also worked for the Associated Press in Bangkok, where for nine years he traveled all over the world covering wars and conflicts, natural disasters, revolutions, military coups and social protests.