Netflix survival thriller Society of the Snow is based on Pablo Vierci’s book of the same name and is directed by J.A. Bayona, who wanted the film to be as realistic as possible, choosing filming locations that look and feel incredibly true to life. Although the story has been told before, including in the 1993 Hollywood movie Alive, this 2023 version of the film presents the most visceral depiction of the events, being filmed on location in the Andes where the disaster occurred.
Where was Society of the Snow filmed? Locations Breakdown
Sierra Nevada
The film would start its journey with filming rooted in Spain, and in particular the mountainous area of Sierra Nevada. The name translates as snow-covered mountain range and is found in the Andalusian province of Granada. Its highest point is 11,414 feet above sea level and was an obvious location for the director to use in the film’s production.
Although authenticity was important, it was just not viable to film entirely in the Andes where the real-life crash occurred, so a substitute had to be found to recreate the location without putting the cast and crew in real danger. However, J.A. Bayona was going to make sure that he could get some footage from the actual crash site.
Montevideo, Uruguay
The film’s cast would include several members from Uruguay and the true story starts with the tragic plane leaving on its flight from Uruguay, so to keep the feeling of authenticity, actual locations were used as much as possible — including this one.
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The Andes
Incredibly, the production team decided to film the majority of the film in the real location that the plane had crashed in, back in 1972. A second unit was sent to the real location that the events unfolded in, and the magic of editing allowed for a blending of the real location, and the substitute in Sierra Nevada, to create the chilling and authentic feel of the film.
Who produced and directed Society of the Snow?
J.A. Bayona was the film’s director and you may recognize the name from other theatrically released movies such as The Orphanage, The Impossible, A Monster Calls, and Jurassic World: Fallen Kingdom.
The named producers on the feature were Belen Atienza, Sandra Hermida, and J. A. Bayona.
Who wrote Society of the Snow?
Society of the Snow was written by Bernat Vilaplana, Jaime Marques, Nicolas Casariego, and J. A. Bayona himself. It was adapted from the book of the same name by Pablo Vierci. A Uruguayan journalist and author. Vierci would be onboard with the film’s production, attending much of the filming, including a visit to the set at the actual crash site, and acting as an associate producer on the movie.
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