Society of the Snow

J.A. Bayona’s “Society of the Snow” reconstructs the 1972 Andes plane disaster involving Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, which carried members of the Old Christians Club rugby team, their friends, and relatives from Montevideo toward Santiago, Chile. On October 13, the Fairchild FH-227D struck a mountain ridge in the Andes. The aircraft broke apart on impact, killing several passengers and crew members, while others died during the following days from severe injuries, exposure, and starvation.

The survivors were stranded at approximately 3,500 meters in the Valle de las Lágrimas, a remote, snow-covered region between Argentina and Chile. They had little food, no reliable shelter, and no effective way to communicate with the outside world. After learning through a radio that the search had been suspended, they understood that rescue would not arrive soon. The film portrays their increasingly desperate decision to eat the bodies of those who had died, a choice that became central to the historical account and was considered by the survivors through the lens of Catholic belief, friendship, and necessity.

The movie focuses particularly on Numa Turcatti, played by Enzo Vogrincic, whose narration gives the story its emotional structure. It also follows Roberto Canessa, portrayed by Matías Recalt, and Fernando “Nando” Parrado, played by Agustín Pardella. In December, after more than two months in the mountains, Parrado and Canessa crossed difficult terrain in search of help. They eventually encountered Chilean muleteer Sergio Catalán, who alerted authorities. Sixteen people were rescued on December 22 and 23, 1972; they became known as the survivors of the Andes.

Written and directed by Bayona, the film is based primarily on Pablo Vierci’s 2008 book “La sociedad de la nieve,” which gathered testimonies from the survivors. Bayona also consulted survivors and families while developing the production. The movie was filmed in locations including the Sierra Nevada in Spain and the Andes, combining physical sets and visual effects to recreate the crash and the surrounding mountains.

“Society of the Snow” premiered at the Venice International Film Festival in 2023 and was selected by Spain as its entry for the Academy Award for Best International Feature Film. It received nominations for Best International Feature Film and Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the 96th Academy Awards. Rather than treating the disaster solely as an adventure, the film emphasizes the group’s collective survival and the individual lives behind the widely reported event.