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Professional Motion Picture Production and Distribution NEWS
Gonzalo Arijon's Award-Winning Documentary "Stranded: The Andes Plane Crash Survivors" to Air Nationally on the PBS Series "Independent Lens" on Tuesday, May 19, 2009
By Staff
posted May 13, 2009, 14:10 |
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(San Francisco, CA) �In December 1972, the world was shocked by the miraculous story of sixteen young
men -- rugby players from Uruguay -- who went to extraordinary measures to survive 72 days after their
plane crashed high in snowy peaks of the Andes. It�s one of the great survival stories of all time, and now, 35
years later, director Gonzalo Arijon � who was a childhood friend of several of the young men -- has carefully
crafted this compelling documentary from the amazingly eloquent and poignant recollections of the sixteen
out of 45 passengers who survived. From the joy these young, handsome, middle-class students felt at the
prospect of a trip away from home, to their teenage hi-jinks aboard the plane, through the crash and the panoply
of emotions that followed as hope of rescue slowly dissolved into despair. After ten days in the freezing,
unforgiving conditions, consuming little more than toothpaste and cigarettes, those that remained alive learned
that the search for survivors had been called off. From that moment on, inspired by faith, a powerful sense of
brotherhood, and the indomitable will to survive, they banded together, refusing to surrender to death. Their
ultimate decision � to eat the flesh of those that did not survive � shocked the world but kept them alive. For the
first time onscreen, these thoughtful and heroic men discuss what they did and why. STRANDED will air on
the Emmy and Peabody-Award winning PBS series Independent Lens, hosted by Terrence Howard, PN Tuesday,
May 19, 2009 at 10PM (check local listings.)
Director Arijon goes beyond the lurid tale of cannibalism � an act that the survivors movingly compare to
Christ�s communion with his disciples -- to discover the essence of this extraordinary human drama. Thirty-five
years later, the survivors and their children revisit the crash site, now known as the Valley of Tears. Recovered
photos and footage of their rescue illuminate the interviews with a powerful immediacy, creating a profound,
powerful and ultimately inspiring look at the overwhelming human desire to live.
To learn more about the film, visit the STRANDED interactive companion website (pbs.org/stranded) which
features detailed information on the film, including an interview with the filmmaker and links and resources
pertaining to the film�s subject matter. The site also features a Talkback section for viewers to share their ideas
and opinions, preview clips of the film, and more.
About the Filmmakers
Gonzalo Arijon, Director
Gonzalo Arijon was born in Montevideo, Uruguay and lives in France. Among his many documentaries are
Lula: Managing a Dream (ARTE/Dissidents, 2005); Far, Very Far from Rome (ARTE/Dissidents, 2004); The
Dark Side of Milosevic (France 3/Mano a Mano, 2002) and Massa�: The Secret of the Volcano God (CANAL
PLUS/ 95�West, 1999). His film For This Eyes (FRANCE 2:Point du Jour. 1998) received the Coral Prize at
Film Fest La Habana, the Grand Prix at Montecarlo Film Fest, the Freedom of Expression Award at Telluride
Film Festival and was an official selection at FIPA 98 and the Margaret Mead Film Festival. STRANDED has
won several awards including the Joris Ivens Jury Award for International Documentary at the 2007 Amsterdam
Film Festival, the Grand Prize at the 2008 Boulder International Film Festival, the Audience Award for Best
Documentary Feature at the 2008 San Francisco International Film Festival and was an Official Selection of the
2008 Sundance Film Festival.
Marc Silvera, Producer
Before he founded Ethan Productions in July 2000, Marc Silvera had a varied career in the audiovisual sector,
both private and public. Ethan Productions has produced several documentaries including Great Sporting Duels;
Long Jump: Carl Lewis vs. Mike Powell; Boxing: Cuba vs. U.S.A.; Football: Boca Juniors vs. River Plate; Tony
Blair, directed by Deborah Ford; and Maracana, directed by Amar Ahrab for Ethan Productions/France 5.
About Independent Lens
Independent Lens is an Emmy� Award-winning weekly series airing Tuesday nights at 10:00 PM on PBS.
The acclaimed anthology series features documentaries and a limited number of fiction films united by the
creative freedom, artistic achievement and unflinching visions of their independent producers. Independent Lensfeatures unforgettable stories about a unique individual, community or moment in history. Presented by ITVS,
the series is supported by interactive companion websites and national publicity and community engagement
campaigns. Further information about the series is available at www.pbs.org/independentlens.
Independent
Lens is jointly curated by ITVS and PBS, and is funded by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), a
private corporation funded by the American people, with additional funding provided by PBS and the National
Endowment for the Arts. The series producer is Lois Vossen.
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CONTACT
Voleine Amilcar, ITVS 415/356-8383, voleine_amilcar[at]itvs[dot]org
Mary Lugo, 770-623-8190, lugo[at]negia[dot]net
Cara White, 843-881-1480, cara.white[at]mac[dot]com
Pressroom for more information and/or downloadable images:
http://www.pbs.org/pressroom/
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