Society of the Snow: from the Andes to the top of the Oscars

The film "Society of the Snow," recreates the story of the Uruguayan rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes in 1972, reliving one of the greatest feats in human history. The film has been nominated for Best International Film and Best Makeup and Hairstyling at the Oscars.

Directed by Spanish filmmaker Juan Antonio Bayona, based on the homonymous book by Pablo Vierci, and featuring Uruguayan locations and technical resources, the film is also a major contender for the Goya Awards with 13 nominations. Additionally, it is among the nominees for the BAFTA Awards, where it competes for the Best Foreign Language Film.

"It is the best tribute to what happened to us in the Andes, the best tribute to the friends who are no longer here," expressed Roberto Canessa, one of the survivors of the accident, regarding the Oscar nominations.

As depicted in the film, Canessa, best known as the "best legs of the team" in rugby, played a crucial role in rescuing the other 15 survivors. Along with Fernando Parrado, he embarked on the last and decisive expedition through the Andes to seek for help.

For Canessa, this movie reflects the idea of how life is. "You have to move forward and keep fighting," he said, adding that they never thought this story would end with an Oscar, not even in their most ambitious ideas.

Amazed by the global success of this mythical Uruguayan story, Canessa recalled that at the time, a newspaper headline read something like "It had to be Uruguayans." "It seemed incredible to me, but now the movie is being watched in places like China simply because it reflects the essence of human behavior," he expressed.

In a release, Uruguayan production company Cimarrón Cine, stated that leading production services in Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile was a "huge challenge." They expressed deep gratitude to the over 700 people from Uruguay, Argentina, and Chile who contributed throughout the process that began in 2018.

They added that the technical deployment for this film was "impressive" and represented "a tribute to the diversity and richness of the Latin American region," made possible by the Uruguay Audiovisual Program (PUA), which they considered a "fundamental pillar for the development of the audiovisual sector in Uruguay, driving the industry in recent years."

After its limited theatrical release, "Society of Snow" became one of the most-watched non-English language films on Netflix, with over 51 million views worldwide and reaching number one in 93 countries.

With its Oscar nomination for Best International Film, it competes against "Perfect Days" from Japan by Win Wenders, "The Zone of Interest" by Jonathan Glazer, "Yo Capitán" from Italy by Matteo Garrone, and "Sala de Profesores" from Germany by Ilker Çatak.

Meanwhile, in its nomination for Best Makeup and Hairstyling, it competes with "Oppenheimer," "Maestro," "Golda," and "Pobres Criaturas."

In this category, "Society of Snow" stands out for its meticulous characterization and makeup work, depicting how the characters were affected during the 72 days of cold and hunger in the mountains and the gradual deterioration of the survivors. Details such as creating fake corpses made of silicone, with a weight that required real effort for the characters to move from one place to another.

In addition to the Andes and landscapes of Sierra Nevada in Granada, Spain, the locations included areas in Uruguay such as the Sierras de Minas, the old Carrasco airport, the Pando air base, rugby fields, the San Juan Bautista church in Pocitos, and streets in neighborhoods like Carrasco and El Prado.

With the participation of several survivors, including Carlos Páez, who plays his own father in the film, the outstanding performance of Uruguayan Enzo Vogrincic, portraying Numa Turcatti, and the cinematography direction of Uruguayan filmmaker Pedro Luque, "Society of Snow" is not only a top-notch international film production but also puts Uruguay on the map as a premier cinematic destination.

After its box office success on Netflix, the platform released the 36-minute documentary "Society of Snow: Who Were We in the Mountain?" about the creative process of the film, featuring behind-the-scenes footage and interviews with the cast, crew, Bayona, and the survivors.