I miracoli accadono ancora

Its crazy to me because the only seen I saw before my parents changed the channel, was when she was pulling' the wiggler's out of her leg. Like many others it was seared in my brain for so long. I couldn't have been more than 6 when I saw that. It stuck good enough for me to start looking for it. Finally, at 31, not only have I found a title for this film but I find out I'm not the only one with this story of relentless curiosity. Very creepy. Now I have to find a copy of this movie so I can bury this once and for all. During my search I found a few online videos from the film and documentaries about Julaine Koepcke. Not quite enough to ease my curiosity. It seems I'm going to have to do a little more digging if I want to get my hands on this movie.

The thing I remember most about this film is that it used to air on local KTLA TV (Ch. 5) during every Christmas season during the mid to late 70s, mainly due to the fact that the true story took place on or near Christmas Eve. It was always a bit disturbing to see the hell that this girl goes through, being the lone survivor of a plane crash in the Peruvian jungle. The graphic scene of this young girl pulling leeches out of her infected leg made quite an impression on this young viewer. Not quite the kind of Christmas cheer I was used to seeing at the time. Definitely not a Rankin-Bass production.

I saw this when I was 17 and haven't seen it since. The 'CBS Late Movie' used to show it on a regular basis at one point. I remember how sad and upsetting it was, it truly made me sick to my stomach. Effects then weren't what they are today, but nevertheless, it conveyed the feeling of being alone in the Amazon, after losing both parents and searching for a way out, very well. I remember the bugs and maggots the most, so realistic they were, eating her flesh. It's a dark film which was controversial subject matter at the time, even though likely it was strongly edited for TV. I wish I remembered more details, and if I ever get the chance to see it again, I can comment more. I have been looking for this for years. I believe it may have been shown on CBS under yet another title. I have no idea whether it was ever released on video.

**This story has some grossness, some religiocentric child making assumptions and some nostalgia.**

When I was a kid in the 1970s/early 80s my local tv station (channel 55 on the dial) ran a 55 hour Christmas movie marathon.

ANYWAY...I watched all 55 hours of it one year because I had the flu. And there was some movie on at like 3am on Christmas morning (!!!) about this teenage girl who survived a plane crash in the jungle and had to hobble her wounded self through the jungle to get back to civilization. I guess they thought the miracle of her survival was Christmassy. Anyway through all the horrors of her struggling through the jungle the one I remember to this day is the scene where she's popping botfly larvae out of her festering wounds. MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

And that's why I always associate botfly larvae with Christmas. True story.

If anyone knows where to obtain an English copy of this movie, please contact me at my3sonsjkk@yahoo.com. I have been searching for this great movie for years. I used to watch this every year with my grandfather. They aired it every year around the holiday's. This movie has stuck with me. I wish I could buy it somewhere, as I never got tired of watching it, year after year. The struggles this girl faced in her survival through the amazon...your heart just goes out to her. Definitely one of the best movies I ever watched. I would recommend for anyone and everyone to see this movie if you can get a hold of a copy. You will not be disappointed.