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“Society of the Snow” is a film by J. A. Bayona based on the book by Pablo Vierci. It has been available on Netflix since 4 January 2024. The film tells the story of the crash of a Uruguayan aircraft in the Andes on 13 October 1972. There were 45 people on board, among them a rugby team. This article describes the events as portrayed in the film. They show the Law of Victory: leaders find a way.
The search is called off
Situation
After about ten days, the survivors hear on the radio that the search for them has been ended. They are stranded on a glacier, without food and in extreme cold. Help from outside can no longer be expected.
Link to the law
Those who lead accept the situation as it is. As long as a team waits for rescue from outside, it does not look for solutions of its own. Victory begins with the sentence: it is up to us.
A decision against their own feelings
Situation
To survive, the survivors eat the flesh of the dead. The group struggles with this for a long time. Numa Turcatti, the film’s narrator, resists at first. The survivors give one another permission to use their own bodies should they die.
Link to the law
Some paths to the goal demand decisions that nobody wants to make. Good leadership does not brush such concerns aside. It gives the struggle room and makes sure the group carries the decision together.
Numa serves to the very end
Situation
Numa takes part in expeditions despite an infected leg wound. He dies on 11 December, the last to die before the rescue. The others find a note in his hand. It says, in essence, that there is no greater love than to give one’s life for one’s friends.
Link to the law
Victory is not always your own victory. Numa leads without a title by committing himself to the others. Leaders who serve in this way give the team a reason to keep going.
The march across the mountains
Situation
Nando Parrado, Roberto Canessa and Antonio Vizintín set out on foot. Vizintín turns back so that the supplies last longer for two. After about ten days, Parrado and Canessa meet the herdsman Sergio Catalán. He fetches help. 16 people are rescued after 72 days.
Link to the law
At some point someone has to set out, even without a guarantee. Parrado and Canessa act after earlier attempts have failed. Leadership means taking the next possible step and concentrating the resources on it.
Key takeaways
Key lessons
- Do not wait for rescue from outside when you can act yourself.
- Raise hard decisions openly and allow concerns.
- Measure victory by the outcome for the group, not by your role.
- Concentrate scarce resources on the attempt with the best chance.
- Take the next step, even if the whole path is still unclear.
Summary
The film shows a group that does not give up on itself. The survivors accept their situation, make hard decisions together and send out their strongest. Numa Turcatti stands for the serving part of this victory. Here, the Law of Victory shows itself as an attitude: looking for a way until there is one.