Is Society of the Snow Based on a true story?

“Society of the Snow” (Spanish: La sociedad de la nieve), directed by J. A. Bayona, is a 2023 survival thriller film that delves into the gripping narrative of the Uruguayan 1972 Andes flight disaster.

As the audience is taken on a harrowing journey through the treacherous mountains, questions arise about the film’s roots in reality. Is “Society of the Snow” based on a true story? The answer is an unequivocal yes.

The film draws inspiration from the catastrophic events surrounding Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571, a chartered Fairchild FH-227D that crashed in the Andes mountains on October 13, 1972.

This tragic incident and the subsequent struggle for survival have become known as both the Andes flight disaster (Tragedia de los Andes) and the Miracle of the Andes (Milagro de los Andes).

Lieutenant-Colonel Dante Héctor Lagurara, the inexperienced co-pilot, found himself at the helm when the aircraft crashed. The devastating impact resulted in the shearing off of both wings and the tail cone, sending the remaining fuselage sliding down a glacier at a terrifying speed.

The flight, carrying 45 passengers and crew, including members of the Old Christians Club rugby union team and their families, suffered immediate casualties, with three crew members and nine passengers succumbing to the harsh conditions.

What unfolded in the aftermath of the crash is a testament to the indomitable human spirit and the will to survive against all odds. The survivors, numbering 16 after the initial losses, endured extreme hardships over 72 days, including exposure, starvation, and avalanches.

Thirteen more passengers lost their lives during this period, and the remaining survivors faced the unthinkable: resorting to cannibalism as a desperate measure for survival. The turning point in this saga came with the arrival of late spring.

Two survivors, Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa, undertook a perilous journey. Without any mountaineering gear, they climbed a 4,650-meter mountain peak on the western rim of the glacier cirque. Over ten days, they hiked 61 kilometers into Chile, seeking help and defying the odds stacked against them.

On December 23, 1972, two months after the crash, all 16 remaining survivors were finally rescued. The incredible story of resilience, sacrifice, and the determination to overcome insurmountable challenges captured global attention and inspired countless individuals.