Society of the Snow: The shocking true story
NetflixSociety of the Snow is now on Netflix – here is the shocking true story behind the movie.
In the face of crisis, everything is on the line – something that Society of the Snow captures in abundance.
Unlike TV shows such as Lost and Yellowjackets, the story behind the tragic plane crash in the movie is based on a true story, with the film being adapted from the 2008 book La Sociedad de la Nieve (Society of the Snow).
Before you sit down to watch it on Netflix, here’s everything you need to know about the shocking true story behind Society of the Snow.
The true story of Society of the Snow
On October 12, 1972, 45 passengers and crew boarded Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 from Montevideo in the Andes Mountains to Santiago, Chile.
Most were connected to the Old Christians Club amateur rugby team, chartered by esteemed Captain Julio César Ferradas, who has clocked up over 5,000 air miles during his career. Things got off on the wrong foot quite quickly when the flight was forced to layover in Mendoza, Argentina due to bad whether. When the flight resumed, the more inexperienced co-pilot Dante Hector Lagurara was at the helm.
Because of high winds, the pilots took a necessary U-shaped route to Chile through a mountain pass. However, the descent began too quickly, leading to the wings and the tail of the plane tearing off from the main body. 12 people died, including Captain Ferradas. Other passengers such as Lagurara, succumbed to their injuries – and the elements – in the days that followed.
Out of the seats, luggage, and fragments of plane that were left, the surviving passengers tried to shield themselves from the unrelenting cold. While the group saw a rescue plane of day four, searches were called off by day 10. Forced to eat snow, an avalanche came in the days that followed, killing another eight passengers.
With scarce food and conditions hitting an all-time low, the remaining passengers resorted to cannibalism, coming to an agreement that if someone was to die, their body would be used to survive. Staying in tough Andes conditions for approximately two months, about two dozen passengers were able to survive.
The rescue mission also took longer than expected, with help finally arriving on day 72. Two of the passengers journeyed more than 37 miles over 10 days in order to find help, who were able to locate help and guided them back to the remaining group. In the months that followed, the media was criticized for sensationalizing their collective trauma.
Society of the Snow is on Netflix now. Check out our other coverage below:
