The J.A. Boyena survival movie Society of the Snow removed one key detail from the true story in the otherwise highly accurate film. Society of the Snow has been praised for its intently authentic portrayal of the survivors and the deceased regarding the tragic 1972 Andres plane crash and 72-day fight for survival in essentially unlivable conditions. Bayona worked closely with the living survivors and the families of the deceased to capture a highly faithful representation of what exactly happened over the course of the true story.
Society of the Snow is based on the book “La Sociedad de la Nieve” written by Pablo Vierci, who grew up with many of the survivors and the deceased. Society of the Snow is Spain’s official submission for Best International Feature at the 2024 Academy Awards and features a cast of entirely South American actors, many of whom make their feature film debut. Society of the Snow was released on Netflix on January 4, 2024, and has maintained its status as one of the most popular films on the streaming platform.
Real Photos Of Society Of The Snow Show How Accurate The Movie Is
Society of the Snow authentically captures many aspects of the actual 1972 Andes plane crash and honors the perspectives of those directly involved.
Multiple People Celebrated Their Birthdays On The Mountain (Not Just Numa)
One of the most personally tragic moments of Society of the Snow is when Numa mentions in his voice-over at one point that it’s his birthday. This would have been true for several of the survivors over the course of the 72-day period in Society of the Snow but the movie skips over a few other birthdays that were actually celebrated on the mountain. Carlos Rodriguez and Nando, both survivors, had their birthdays on the mountain. Alfredo “Pancho” Delgado’s birthday occurred just a few days after the avalanche killed eight people and was celebrated with singing and wine.
It’s important to note that while Numa was the protagonist and narrator of Society of the Snow, he is given a much larger focus than in previous renditions of the story such as in the 1993 film Alive starring Ethan Hawke. Numa’s name was not used in Alive because the production did not have the permission of the families of the deceased to use their actual names and likenesses. A great deal of Society of the Snow is told through Numa’s eyes and, as a result, he is the only person whose birthday on the mountain is acknowledged.
Hidden Detail In Society Of The Snow’s Rescue Scene Explains A Huge Reason For The Movie’s Accuracy
One key detail towards the end of Society of the Snow depicts how the authenticity of the film was able to be achieved & recreated with such accuracy.
Why Society Of The Snow Removed The Survivors’ Birthday Celebrations
With the runtime of Society of the Snow already approaching two hours and thirty minutes, a likely reason why the film only includes Numa’s birthday is due to time constraints. There is so much to be covered and pay respect to in the movie that the point they make about Numa celebrating his life while surrounded by death is accomplished by one example alone. There was no real need to replicate other birthdays in Society of the Snow, although it would have been interesting to include at least in Nando’s case since he was such a huge part of the story.
Society of the Snow
- Release Date
- December 15, 2023
- Director
- J.A. Bayona
- Cast
- Matías Recalt , Agustin Pardella , Felipe González Otaño , Luciano Chatton , Valentino Alonso , Francisco Romero , Agustín Berruti , Andy Pruss
- Runtime
- 144 Minutes
