Catalan Cartographic Institute's maps star in Oscar-nominated 'Society of the Snow'

The Cartographic and Geological Institute of Catalonia helped to enhance the visual authenticity of scenes in J.A. Bayona's acclaimed film 'Society of the Snow' by providing several maps of the Andes. 

The maps featured in the Oscar-nominated film show the topography of Andean regions in Chile, Argentina and Peru between the 1930s and 1950s. 

J.A. Bayona's production team expressed an interest in some twelve maps from the Cartographic Institute after discovering them on its website. 

"They had seen the images on our website and requested them in high resolution. We arranged the rights," explains Noelia Ramos, head of the Cartographic Institute's map library.

Although the Cartographic Institute provided them with ten maps, "only three or four" were ultimately used in the film.

While the selected maps show the area's significant elevations and the presence of snow, they do not accurately depict the location of the 1972 plane crash that is central to the film's plot, says Noelia. 

The Cartographic Institute's maps appear in several frames during the rescue of the film's protagonists, in the film's final scenes.

"They use maps to create a visual sense that you are searching for something, or that you are in a place and need a map for context. It is a visual device," she explains. 

Noelia also explains that many film producers, editorials and exhibitions request images from them. Especially since they offer the possibility to consult their library online.

J. A. Bayona's 'Society of the Snow' will be competing for two Academy Awards at this year's Oscars on 11 March: Best International Feature Film and Best Make-up and Hairstyling.

To find out more, listen to the podcast below, which includes an interview with Bayona on the red carpet at the 2023 Gaudí Awards.