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Agustín Della Corte has gone from the Rugby World Cup to acting. Della Corte portrays the part of Antonio “Tintin” Vizintin in the new movie La Sociedad de La Nieve (Society of the Snow). The movie is a Netflix production and is now available on the streaming service.
The movie is about a remarkable true story of survival. In 1972 the Old Christians Club flew from Montevideo, Uruguay to Santiago, Chile. After a stop in Mendoza, Argentina The plane never arrived at its destination. The plane crashed high in the Andes.
Forty-five people were on board when the plane went down. Authorities were unable to locate the crash and efforts to find survivors were abandoned. The Old Christians Club players and others on board were forced to save themselves.
In order to prepare for the role of Antonio “Tintin” Vizintin, Agustín Della Corte lost 27 kg (60 lbs). It was a small piece of insight into what the victims and survivors of the accident endured. Those onboard 571 of la Fuerza Aérea Uruguaya were pushed well beyond the limit. They were forced to undertake extreme measures.
In a desperate attempt to survive the trio of Antonio “Tintin” Vizintin, Roberto Canessa and Nando Parrado hiked from the glacier to Chile. Canessa and Parrado sent “Tintin” back to the wreckage to continue without him.
Exhausted and starving, Canessa and Parrado carried on and reached Chile. They were found by a man on horseback, the late Sergio Catalán. Catalán threw a loaf of bread across the river and rode for ten hours to get help. Canessa and Parrado had hiked 61 km (38 mi) through the Andes in ten days.
Agustín Della Corte comes from the Trébol club in Paysandú, Uruguay. He made his test debut for Uruguay against Russia in 2017. He went on to earn 10 test caps including playing at Rugby World Cup 2019. He featured for Uruguay against Australia in Oita.
Prior to the World Cup, the center scored a sensational try for the Uruguay XV against Chile. In what was a match-winner, Della Corte touched down a 95 meter try. After the World Cup, Della Corte joined Peñarol for the Súper Liga Americana de Rugby (SLAR) – now Super Rugby Americas.
Della Corte is now aged 26. He has stepped away from professional rugby but continues to play the sport. His preparation for the role of Antonio Vizintin included talking to the survivor himself.
