J.A. Bayona brings to life the tragedy of the 1972 Andes Flight Disaster with Spain’s official entry for the best international feature film at the 96th Academy Awards in Spanish-language production: Sociedad de la nieve (Society of the Snow). The survival thriller film was released to Netflix on January 4 with a generous run time of 2h 24m.
Spanish film director J.A. Bayona hit the ground running in the new year with the release of his big screen adaptation of the book of the same name by Pablo Vierci. The film follows the true story of a Uruguayan Rugby team (Old Christians Club) that was forced to survive by any means necessary after a fatal crash in the Andes Mountains, along with their families, supporters and friends.
Of the 45 initial passengers (five crew members and 40 passengers) only 16 would survive the grueling challenges that accompany the harsh environment: ill preparation and above all…starvation.
The flight path from Montevideo, Uruguay to Chile would take them through the treacherous mountain range and ultimately lead to their premature demise. With no alternatives, the survivors were forced to resort to cannibalism in order to survive the extreme conditions for the 72 days they would be stranded.
The film wastes no time jumping right into the action after briefly introducing the cast, highlighting the main characters while developing their presence to foreshadow a deep emotional connection that will inevitably form amongst them. Facing certain doom prompts the characters to band together, combining their unique knowledge and experience to overcome their obstacles.
Bayona executes the historical events in horrific detail, emphasizing the grueling conditions that were the reality for the Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 survivors and those lost in the tragedy alike. He methodically incorporates flashbacks which serve as our connection to the intricacies of the individual characters life outside of the historical event, further leaning into the emotional aspect of the film. The intense ambience of the narration is provided through the development of the film, drawing us as viewers in as the events unfold in an incredibly visceral manner. From the plane crash to the duration of their isolation and their rescue, there is never a moment of boredom.
Principal photography took place in the Sierra Nevada of Spain; Montevideo, Uruguay, Argentina and even included the actual crash site, contributing to Bayona’s keen eye for detail. The film was also shot in Madrid and the second unit in Chile, headed by Argentine director of Murder Me, Monster, Alejandro Fadel.
Bayona’s artwork takes us on a wild rollercoaster of death and loss, but also of the profoundness of the human spirit and our ability to overcome harrowing adversity. By holding onto the power of hope and above all maintaining our faith in one another, the film aims to highlight what can be possible through circumstances in which hopelessness seems like the only logical reaction.
Though this retelling of this historical miracle has been brought to the silver screen in other adaptations — most notably “Alive” from 1993 — J.A. Bayona’s may be the most immersive experience yet. This wildly absorbing hit tells the incredible story by capturing, in vivid details, the horrors experienced by the Society of the Snow.
Tanner Allen can be reached at [email protected]