Hot Docs 2008

In October 1972, a plane carrying 45 members of an Uruguayan rugby team crashes into the Andes. Their struggle to stay alive would make international headlines and inspires the world as one of the greatest survival stories ever told. Thirty-five years later, filmmaker Gonzalo Arijon reunites all 16 survivors back at the crash site to share their incredible experience. A trusted friend of the survivors, Arijon offers recovered photographs of the scene and brilliantly recreated sequences with the utmost respect to illustrate the group's sheer bravery against insurmountable odds. As visually stunning as Arijon's homage is, the survivors' candid sharing of their deepest feelings on their harrowing psychological and physical ordeal creates even more emotional power. While the press sensationalized tales of their cannibalism, a survivor's own words sanctify their desperation and reclaim their dignity: "I decided I wanted to live." A cinematic tour-de-force, Stranded is a deeply moving film about honour, courage and survival.
-Myrocia Watamaniuk