Stranded: I Have Come from a Plane That Crashe in the Mountains (Arijon, 2007): France

Most of us are familiar with the plane crash in Andes Mountains, leaving behind 16 unharmed rugby player to survive by eating the remains of those who died during the atrocity. Stranded: I Have Come from a Plane That Crashed on the Mountains, is the first documentary about this event. Directed by Gonzalo Arijon, this may be one of the finest works of nonfiction film I have ever encountered. Many of us may have trouble grasoing the extremes these men had to go to in order to survive, but if you are able to stomach it, this film is most definitely worth the time.

The film is a compilation of interviews with several of the survivors and re-enactments of the actual events. Many of the survivors actually take a trip back to the place that their plane crashed with their children. Initially, 25 people survived on a plane carrying 45. Later on during their wait to be rescued, 8 more died in an Avalanche. The most amazing part of this story, is that these average men, survived for 72 days. This miraculous length to stay alive is often overshadowed by the necessary cannibalism that occurred. Ii is the way this topic is approached that makes this film the incredibly beautiful documentary that it is. While the filmmaker did address this topic, he didn’t dwell on it nor give it any more attention than necessary. We come to understand that, these men being devout Catholics, convinced themselves that in a way, this cannibalism could be viewed as a kind of communion. After all, Christ sacrificed himself for humanity, in a way, those who died in the crash had sacrificed their bodies for the well being of the group. Now I am in no way religious, but I found this explanation to be quite touching. By the end of the film, you would be hard-pressed to find anyone in the audience who was still opposed or did not find the difficult tasks absolutely necessary.

The footage from the reenactments appears grainy and formalistic. It is not like footage from other reenactments, and is in no way cheesy. It adds a dreamlike quality to the horrific experience which can be most easily described as a two month long nightmare. We see footage of the anxious teenagers waiting to get on the plane as they horse around, as well as footage of several of them trying survive on the mountain. It serves an important purpose in reconstructing this incredible tale.

This is a film that everyone should see (if you can stomach the idea of cannibalism). Simply because it is an extraordinary story on every scale. This documentary does a far greater service than the 1993 film “Alive” ever will. These men were able to stay alive for 72 days! Show them the respect they deserve and see this fine film.