MONTEVIDEO, Uruguay – The new Netflix drama, “Society of the Snow,” is earning high praise for its accurate depiction of the 1972 plane crash in the Andes mountains that involved a Uruguayan rugby team. Directed by J.A. Bayona, the film tells the harrowing story of the disaster, which resulted in the death of 12 passengers and forced the survivors to endure freezing temperatures and avalanches for 72 days before being rescued.
Based on the book of the same name by Pablo Vierci, the movie has garnered acclaim from the crash’s survivors for its painstakingly accurate recreation of the disaster. Vierci relied on interviews with the survivors, attending the same school as the rugby players and nearly joining them on their doomed flight. Director Bayona, who bought the rights to Vierci’s book in 2012, traveled to the Andes mountains several times to shoot the movie, ensuring authenticity and understanding the context of the survivors’ experience.
The cast and crew’s efforts were not in vain, as Bayona screened the movie for the crash’s survivors, who gave it unanimous approval for its close portrayal of the reality of the story and the recognizable geography. Survivors, including Dr. Roberto Canessa, explained how emotional it was to watch the film, feeling as though they had been transported back to the fuselage of the crashed plane. This immersive and accurate retelling of their traumatic experience has left a lasting impression on those who lived through the tragedy.