Is Society of the Snow a True Story?

Society of the Snow might sound like a recently rediscovered Raymond Briggs story, but it’s actually a film about the lengths a group of plane crash survivors go to in order to live. That might have you wondering whether Society of the Snow is a true story. Here’s the answer.

Is Society of the Snow (La Sociedad de la Nieve) a True Story?

Spanish-language film La Sociedad de la Nieve, aka Society of the Snow, currently on Netflix, is a grim watch. It has a group of plane crash survivors struggling to survive in the snowy Andes, forced to resort to extreme measures to stay alive. Between injuries, frostbite, and starvation, it’s a harrowing account of a freezing, two-month nightmare. But is it a true story?

As bleak and as terrifying as that scenario may seem, Society of the Snow is based on a true story. In 1972, Uruguayan Air Force Flight 571 crashed into the Andes due to pilot error. It was carrying 45 people, including a Uruguayan rugby club, the Old Christians Club. 12 people died on impact, but of the 33 remaining, only 16 survived were rescued.

The rescue came 72 days after the crash, and the passengers did resort to eating the flesh of the dead to survive. And as gruesome as this scenario is, there’s a “triumph of the will” element, which is one of the reasons the story is often revisited.

Related: How True & Accurate Is For All Mankind?

Is Society of the Snow (La Sociedad de la Nieve) a Remake of Alive?

Yes, the story has been told many times, several times on screen. Before this movie, there was the 1993 movie Alive, the Mexican thriller Survive!, and several documentaries. Alive is probably the most famous of all the adaptations, so you could be thinking, is Society of the Snow a remake of Alive?

The answer is no. While both movies cover the same disaster, each is based on a different book. 1993’s Alive is based on Alive: The Story of the Andes Survivors, a 1973 book by novelist Piers Paul Read. Society of the Snow, on the other hand, is based on Pablo Vierci’s book of the same name.

Both movies have their pros and cons, and as several people have pointed out, Alive‘s characters don’t look like they’ve spent 72 days starving on a mountain, whereas the more recent movie is more convincing in that respect.

So, Society of the Snow (La Sociedad de la Nieve) is based on a true story, but it draws upon a different sourcebook, meaning it’s not a remake of Alive.