Netflix releases another bone chilling thriller “Society of Snow” which is based on the true story of the Uruguayan rugby team whose flight crashed in the Andes in 1972, forcing survivors to turn into cannibalism.
Renowned for his films The Impossible and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom, Spanish director J.A. Bayona told Vanity Fair that the entire film is akin to “a journey of revisiting the past and closing that chapter.”
Dubbed as the “Miracle of Andes” (Milagro de los Andes), Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 was a chartered twin engine plane carrying a Uruguayan rugby team crash landed high in the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972. Prior to “Society of Snow”, the 1993 movie “Alive” was made based on this real-life event.
Following a plane crash in the Andes, 29 survivors were left stranded with no way to contact the outside world. After 72 days, the number of survivors dwindled to 16, who managed to survive in part by resorting to cannibalism. Initially met with revulsion, the survivors’ fortitude and inventiveness eventually gained appreciation, leading to their ordeal being referred to as the “Miracle of the Andes.”
Based on Pablo Vierci’s 2009 book of the same name, Bayona’s interpretation of the book is instinctive.The film begins in Uruguay, focusing on a group of carefree rugby players. The narrative then shifts to their struggle for survival following a flight disaster, a depiction that elicits both horror and admiration.
Apart from the book, the Spanish director also draws inspiration from conversations with survivors. Working with DP Pedro Luque, Bayona portrays life in the mountains, where they conducted an extensive shoot in the Sierra Nevada region. Vanity Fair described the making as “covering the vastness of their isolation, the brutality of what they must do to keep living, and the creeping in of hopelessness.”
“Society of Snow” features a cast including Enzo Vogrincic, Matías Recalt, Agustín Pardella, Esteban Kukuriczka, Tomas Wolf, Diego Vegezzi and Esteban Bigliardi. According to CNN, Bayona approaches the material with incredible efficiency, including garish details without overindulging.
“Society of Snow” was chosen as the Spanish entry for the Best International Feature Film at the 96th Academy Awards, making it to the shortlist of 15 finalist films in December.
“Society of the Snow” premiered on Netflix on January 4.
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