Summary

• The film Society of the Snow depicts the 1972 Andes flight disaster and the survivors' harrowing experiences in great detail, even filming at the actual crash site.
• However, some details had to be omitted, including the helicopter rescue and the realities surrounding it, which resulted in eight survivors spending an extra night on the mountain.
• Despite the additional challenges, many of the survivors went on to lead fulfilling lives after the tragedy, finding love, starting families, and pursuing successful careers.

Sixteen people were rescued from the mountain in 29 deaths in Society of the Snow, either during the crash or after, during their time in the Andes mountains. Director J.A. Bayona went to excruciating lengths to include as much detail in the film as possible, even filming Society of the Snow at the actual crash site in the mountains.

Even with his attention to detail, some things had to be omitted, as Society of the Snow left out the helicopter rescue and the harsh reality surrounding it. Eight of the survivors had to spend an additional night on the mountain for several reasons. One of the problems was that the helicopters would have exceeded their weight limit with all the survivors onboard. There was also bad weather during the first rescue flight, preventing them from returning the same day. While the movie depicts them all flying out on the same day, eight of the survivors had to extend their tragedy through another night.

8 Alfredo "Pancho" Delgado

Pancho Delgado was one of the survivors left behind for an additional night after the first rescue helicopter departed. Pancho was injured during the crash and was unable to move throughout his time on the mountain. He was the first survivor to explain why they had to resort to eating human meat during the press conference following their rescue. Many of survivors had fulfilling lives after Society of the Snow, including Pancho. He later married his lifelong girlfriend and had four children with her, though his reunion with her was delayed by an extra day.

7 Roberto "Bobby" François

Bobby François was a unique survivor because he had little hope of making it off the mountain. He fell into a deep depression due to the terrible circumstances, and he was unable to help the other survivors much due to his mental state. Bobby was one of the survivors who had to stay behind an extra day, which surely did not improve his mental health. He is still alive today, and he works as an agricultural technician with a wife and six children.

6 Roy Harley

Roy Harley was an engineering student, and his skills and knowledge were invaluable on the mountain. Because of his education, Roy was able to repair both the small radio that informed the survivors about the rescue efforts, as well as the larger transmitter in the tail of the plane. He was also not in the fuselage during the avalanche, and was able to dig down from the top of the snow to help rescue the remaining survivors. He is now married to Roberto Canessa's sister-in-law, and they have two children.

Society of the Snow is available to stream on Netflix.

5 Javier Methol

Javier Methol lost his wife, Liliana, during the avalanche on Day 17, as the snow buried both of them with Javier on top. Her death took a toll on Javier, but he was able to find the meaning he took out of the tragedy, which was an important moment in Society of the Snow and helped deliver the film's theme. As he stated in the movie, he took the intense love he felt for Liliana back home to his four children. After the crash, he remarried and had four more children before his death in 2015.

4 Ramón "Moncho" Sabella

Moncho Sabella was not part of the Old Christians Club rugby team, but had been invited on the plane as a vacation. Because of that, he didn't know many of the other survivors and was very quiet in the first days of their survival. Moncho was also one of the survivors who had a cameo in Society of the Snow. He didn't begin speaking about his time in the Andes until years later, and he now has a successful career in business.

3 Adolfo Strauch

Adolfo Strauch was one of the Strauch cousins, and he was partly responsible for cutting up the bodies before they could be eaten. In Society of the Snow, Numa explained that he and many of the other survivors were extremely grateful for the cousins' work, as they took up an extremely unpleasant task necessary for their survival in a way that made it easier to eat the meat. After his extra day in the Andes, Adolfo renewed his faith in his religion, and attributed the group's survival to God's love for them.

2 Antonio "Tintin" Vizintín

Tintin Vizintín was described as one of the strongest players on the rugby team, and he played the position that is most often hit. The other survivors celebrated Tintin's strength, which helped in their efforts to find a way off the mountain. He accompanied Nando and Roberto during their hike to find help, carrying one of the heavier packs they brought, before turning back to help the other two conserve food for the rest of their journey. He was also one of the last survivors to be rescued, another testament to his strength. He had three wives and two children following his rescue.

1 Gustavo Zerbino

Gustavo Zerbino helped Roberto with caring for the other survivors' medical conditions. He was also part of the first expedition for the tail of the plane with Numa, and he burned his eyes during the journey. In Society of the Snow, Gustavo was the survivor who refused to board the helicopter without his suitcase. This is because he had collected letters and other personal items from the engers who had died in the crash and on the mountain in order to them. He was one of the last survivors to be rescued, and afterward, he continued to play rugby and later ran a chemical company. He had a wife he later divorced and four children.

The survivors of Society of the Snow went through a terrible and tragic ordeal, but eight of them had to endure the harsh conditions a day longer than the rest. While the movie is an extremely detailed and faithful retelling of the Andes flight disaster, some details had to be cut out. The rescue at the end of the movie was shortened to maintain the film's uplifting tone for the last few scenes, and while the rescue was miraculous, not everyone got off the mountain at the same time.