‘Society of the Snow’ has become one of the most popular films in recent days due to the incredible story of the passengers of flight 571 who, against all odds, managed to survive 72 days in the Andes Mountains. However, although the film tries to closely portray the extreme conditions and difficult decisions that the survivors faced after the accident, the reality is much harsher. And the survivors not only had to manage to get out of the inhospitable place, but at the same time they had to fight against the cold, the scarcity of food, and, above all, the desperation of imagining that perhaps they would never be rescued.
However, one of the things that tormented them the most was the fact of having to eat their deceased friends to stay alive due to the lack of food. The idea of feeding on their comrades was a heartbreaking ethical and moral dilemma that haunted the survivors for years because although it helped them live, it was something that marked them for life.
Real Photos of ‘Society of the Snow’
The film ‘Society of the Snow’ has done a magnificent job in recreating several of the real photographs of the tragedy in the Andes, which undoubtedly reflects the arduous effort of the film to show as real as possible the tragedy that occurred on the 12th of October 1972. For that reason, below we leave you a comparison of the real photographs against those from the film.
The Passengers
There were 45 people on board the plane, including 19 members of the Old Christians Club rugby team, along with some of their family and friends.
The Accident
The accident of flight 571 of the Uruguayan Air Force occurred on October 12, 1972, at 3:38 p.m., when the plane collided with the Cerro Seler mountain, at an altitude of 3,600 meters.
The Survivors
A group of 27 people managed to survive the initial accident. However, due to injuries and extreme conditions, the number of survivors dropped to 16 as the days passed.
Life in the Mountains
Despite the adversities, the passengers knew how to stay united and build a shelter with the remains of the plane to protect them from the cold. They began to ration food better, made snowshoes for their feet, and made sleeping bags with seat cushions.
The Rescue
On December 23, 1972, a team reached the mountain and rescued the 16 remaining survivors, after Nando Parrado and Roberto Canessa managed to cross the Andes in search of help.
This story was written in Spanish by Mariana Martell in Cultura Colectiva.
