Yes, Society of the Snow is based on the real-life events of the 1972 Andes plane crash, often referred to as the Miracle of the Andes. Directed by J.A. Bayona (The Impossible, A Monster Calls), the film recounts the harrowing tale of a Uruguayan rugby team whose flight crashed deep in the Andes Mountains, leaving the survivors to face unimaginable challenges.
The True Story Behind the Film
On October 13, 1972, the Old Christians Club rugby team, along with family and friends, boarded Flight 571 from Montevideo, Uruguay, for a match in Santiago, Chile. However, the plane crashed into the Andes Mountains after deviating off course. The crash resulted in immediate fatalities, and 12 people died on impact. Only 29 passengers survived the first night, facing freezing temperatures and harsh conditions in the remote mountains, where the temperature can dip to 40 degrees below zero.
As days passed without rescue, the survivors’ situation grew increasingly dire. After several failed search-and-rescue missions, which eventually abandoned hope, the survivors were left to fend for themselves. They spent 72 days in the wreckage of the plane, resorting to desperate measures, including cannibalism, in order to stay alive. Ultimately, only 16 people survived and made it out of the mountains, a miraculous feat that captivated the world.
The Film’s Depiction of the Story
Society of the Snow dramatizes these real events, following the journey of the rugby players and their harrowing survival in the mountains. The film is told primarily from the point of view of Numa Turcatti, played by Enzo Vogrincic, one of the survivors. The story delves into the intense emotional and physical challenges the survivors faced as they struggled to stay alive, grappled with feelings of guilt, and formed a bond that would see them through the unimaginable.
While the film is a faithful representation of the events, it includes some creative liberties, as expected in cinematic adaptations. The film is based on the 2008 book La Sociedad de la Nieve (Society of the Snow) by Pablo Vierci, a journalist who was a classmate of the survivors. Bayona and his team worked closely with the survivors and their families to ensure the film captured the gravity of their ordeal. The survivors themselves have praised the film for its accuracy in depicting the brutal reality they faced during their time in the Andes.
The Cast and Their Preparation
The film features an ensemble cast, including Matías Recalt as Roberto Canessa, Agustín Pardella as Nando Parrado, and Tomas Wolf as Gustavo Zerbino. These actors underwent rigorous preparation to portray the real-life survivors authentically. Recalt, who plays Roberto Canessa, spent time with the survivor and his family to understand his experiences. Canessa, now a pediatric cardiologist, shared his memories with the actors to help them portray the emotional and physical toll the crash took on him and his teammates.
Filming in the Andes
To capture the essence of the Andes, the filmmakers shot some of the exterior scenes in the actual Valley of Tears, the location of the crash site, in Argentina. However, other scenes were filmed in the Sierra Nevada Ski Station in Spain, chosen for its similar snowy terrain. Director J.A. Bayona also visited the crash site during production, experiencing the extreme conditions the survivors endured, which helped the team create a realistic atmosphere on screen.
Awards and Recognition
Society of the Snow has garnered significant recognition, including two Academy Award nominations for Best International Feature Film and Best Makeup and Hairstyling. It was also nominated for Best Motion Picture in a Non-English Language at the 81st Golden Globe Awards and Best Film Not in the English Language at the 2024 BAFTA Awards. The film’s success highlights its emotional depth, compelling storytelling, and the remarkable true story at its heart.