I Am Alive: Surviving the Andes Plane Crash – DVD Review

Most people have heard at least something about the rugby team whose plane crashed in the Andes back in 1972. Whether they were around when it happened, through news stories, or even through movies like the 1993 film Alive, the harrowing story about what the 16 survivors endured in order to survive is one filled with drama, suspense, and devastation.

But what’s the real story of what happened to The Old Christians rugby team in the Andes over the course of those 72 days? The History Channel delivers an amazing and in-depth look at one of the most prominent news stories of the past with I Am Alive: Surviving the Andes Plane Crash. What makes this particular account of the events that transpired following the plane crash even more relevant is that it’s told by those who lived through it.

First-person accounts of heroism, fear, terror, and eventual elation drive this fascinating documentary that gives viewers the chance to relive and experience the events of those 72 days through the eyes of those who were actually there. With the aid of reenactments, photos, and interviews with survivors and experts, the tragedy of those fateful days unfolds with emotional results.

And that’s what makes this documentary work is the real life emotions of the men and women who lived through not only a violent plane crash, but had to make decisions that no human should have to make in order to ensure their survival. Just hearing what these people went through makes you grateful to be in the warmth and safety of your home and not in the frozen shell of a downed plane surrounded by the corpses of friends. I think that’s one thing we can all agree on.

The DVD includes a lot of great special features, which include: Return to the Valley of Tears Featurette; Nando Parrado Today; Traces of Tragedy: Artifacts from the Andes Plane Crash; Behind-the-Scenes of I Am Alive: Surviving the Andes Plane Crash; Extended Interviews with Roberto & Laura Canessa, Graciela Parrado, Jose Luis Nicola, and Brother Eamon O’Donnell; and an Original Photo Slideshow.

For a gripping look at one of the most amazing stories of survival in human history, I highly recommend I Am Alive: Surviving the Andes Plane Crash.

I Am Alive: Surviving the Andes Plane Crash is available February 22, 2011 on DVD!

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