Posted by: Brett Reisman 5th Oct 2010 5

Stranded, freezing, and starving to death in the middle of nowhere, 16 survivors endure a horrific 72-day odyssey – and struggle with the ultimate taboo. Their incredible story is re-told in…

I AM ALIVE: SURVIVING THE ANDES PLANE CRASH Premieres on Wednesday, October 20 at 9pm ET on HISTORY

New York, October 4, 2010 – Throughout history, the most harrowing stories of human survival – like that of the Donner Party in the 1840′s – have involved people whose only means of staying alive was to consume the deceased around them. On Friday the 13th of October, 1972, just such a story began when a charter plane carrying 45 rugby team members crashed in the remote Andes Mountains. For 72 days, the world thought they were dead. But what 16 survivors endured was far worse than death, driven to eat their dead friends and teammates in their struggle for life, an act which would ultimately spark sensational, worldwide headlines.

I AM ALIVE: SURVIVING THE ANDES PLANE CRASH, a new 2-hour special premiering Wednesday, October 20 at 9pm ET on HISTORY, recounts one of the most historic human survival stories of all time through the eyes of Nando Parrado (bestselling author of Miracle in the Andes) – who lost his mother and sister in the crash and led a death-defying expedition to save himself and the others.

Nando’s simple, yet powerful and evocative storytelling will allow viewers to experience the nearly two and a half months of heroism and tragedy through the vivid memories of a man who lived it. Several other survivors also lend their unique perspectives on the tragedy.

I AM ALIVE will immerse viewers into this tragic story through incredible live-action recreations of the snowbound crash site including a meticulous reconstruction of the wrecked plane fuselage that served as the survivors’ only refuge, as well as never-before-seen transcripts of the doomed flight. In addition, new, high-resolution imagery of photos shot by the survivors throughout their ordeal, and rarely seen footage of the crash site and rescue will enhance the first-person narration, while blended CGI/live action sequences provide a visceral and terrifying experience of the crash itself, and the amazing struggle for survival that followed.

I AM ALIVE: SURVIVING THE ANDES PLANE CRASH is produced for HISTORY by AMS Pictures. Executive Producer for HISTORY is Charles Nordlander. Andy Streitfeld is Executive Producer for AMS Pictures.

HISTORY(R) and HISTORY HD(R) are the leading destinations for revealing, award-winning original non-fiction series and event-driven specials that connect history with viewers in an informative, immersive and entertaining manner across multiple platforms. Programming covers a diverse variety of historical genres ranging from military history to contemporary history, technology to natural history, as well as science, archaeology and pop culture. Among the network’s program offerings are hit series such as American Pickers, Ax Men, The Universe, Ice Road Truckers, Chasing Mummies, Top Shot and Pawn Stars, as well as acclaimed specials including America the Story of Us, WWII in HD, 102 Minutes That Changed America, Moonshot and Life After People. HISTORY has earned four Peabody Awards, eight Primetime Emmy(R) Awards, 14 News & Documentary Emmy(R) Awards and received the prestigious Governor’s Award from the Academy of Television Arts & Sciences for the network’s Save Our History(R) campaign dedicated to historic preservation and history education. Take a Veteran to School Day is the network’s latest initiative connecting America’s schools and communities with veterans from all wars. The HISTORY website, located at www.history.com, is the leading online resource for all things history, featuring over 20,000 videos, images, audio clips, articles and interactive features that allow visitors to dig deeper into a broad range of thousands of historical topics.

5 Responses

1. Pamela Roupe says:

   October 16, 2010 at 8:57 pm

   I am very excited about this premiere. I am a high school English teacher and in my Survival Literature class we are currently reading “Alive”. I have encouraged my students to read Nando Parrado’s book – “Miracle in the Andes” and have shown clips from the documentary, “Stranded”. This is perfect timing for this to air on the History Channel. Thanks for sharing Nando Parrado’s story as it inspires not only my students but all of us to never lose hope in the face of great adversity. I can’t wait for Wed. night. 10/20.

   Reply
   • Tammy Nguyen Lee says:

     October 18, 2010 at 7:14 pm

     Thanks, Pamela! We’re all very excited as well. Would love for you and your students to let us know what you think after the show airs.

     Reply
     • Phillip Brei says:

       November 15, 2010 at 3:23 am

       I recently stumbled across this fascinating documentary and would like to share it with my wife who was unable to see it. Is there a location where i can download or stream the documentary? Maybe it is for sale on DVD? Great story of human determination. Thanks for any help.

       Phil

       Reply
2. Flying in the Andes Mountains at 15,000′ Altitude. 70 Knot Winds. 14 Degrees. | AERIAL FILMWORKS: Cineflex V14 Gyro-Stabilized Aerial HD says:

   October 20, 2010 at 12:48 am

   [...] “I Am Alive: Surviving the Andes Plane Crash”, produced by AMS Pictures, premieres on October 20, 2010 at 9pm on the History [...]

   Reply
3. Diana Doyle says:

   October 29, 2010 at 2:14 am

   This documentry was an amazing tribute to the human spirit. Inspiring and motivating. Brad Osborne has managed to capture something truly special in the interviews and footage.

   Having lost my mother, sister and daughter over three years I found this two hour doc to be something inspirational to any survivor or person facing any adversity in life. Nando Parrado is a humble hero….a remarkable human being, thank you for showing a REAL story that would motivate anyone to achieve anything in life!

   Congratulations to you and your team!
   Diana Doyle

   Reply