Avalanche video shows power of nature, but it’s from a movie

If a video appears too cinematic to be true, chances are it may be from a movie — especially if it has subtitles.

"Never underestimate the power of nature," read sticker text on a Dec. 26 Instagram video that shows a family dining on a patio at what appears to be a ski resort.

As they eat, an avalanche advances downhill in their direction. A man tells his family not to worry, saying it’s a controlled avalanche, according to captions on the video. Soon, diners begin to scream and run away as a rush of white powder sprays over them.

We found other social media posts in recent days sharing the video as if it were real. 

Although nature is indeed powerful — and the video captures that power — the scene is from a movie; the subtitles that translate the family’s words were our first clue. A simple keyword search on Google shows it’s a scene from the 2014 Swedish movie "Force Majeure."

(Instagram screenshot)

The Instagram post, which had amassed more than 390,000 likes by Jan. 9, didn’t say the video is a movie scene. A caption instead talked about nature’s immense power, "from its breathtaking beauty to its forceful elements."

The video has been passed off as real on social media since at least 2019, according to previous articles.

Featured Fact-check

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stated on September 16, 2018 in a Facebook post

Says CNN’s Anderson Cooper stood in a ditch during Hurricane Florence to exaggerate water levels.

(Scene from "Force Majeure." Magnolia Pictures)

In the full film from Magnolia Pictures, the panicking father bolts from the table while his wife scoops up both of their children. The avalanche was controlled and stopped short of the restaurant, sending a harmless dusting of snow over the diners.

The movie’s plot focuses on the aftermath of the father’s actions and how they affected how his family perceives him.

We rate the claim that the video is real and shows the power of nature False.