At the Movies: Spare My Bones, Coyote!

With summer upon us, we can expect a spike in the deaths of migrants in the U.S./Mexico border region. Spare My Bone, Coyote! A Film by Jonah Malak 84 minutes, offers a glimpse into that ongoing tragedy.

Here is a description of the film:

Ely and Marisela Ortiz, leaders of the volunteer group Águilas del Desierto, have spent the past twelve years roaming the harsh terrain along the U.S.–Mexico border to search for the bodies of missing undocumented migrants, who have perished while attempting the crossing on foot, and to connect them back to their families.

Their commitment is deeply personal. In 2009, Ely lost his brother and cousin after they were abandoned in the desert by a coyote. He later joined the search team that recovered their bodies. That experience left a lasting mark, and since then, Ely and Marisela have devoted themselves entirely to this work. Despite exhaustion, burnout, and the strain on their family life, they have never stepped away from their mission—one that would otherwise go largely unfulfilled.

Founded in 2012, the Águilas del Desierto organization responds to an overwhelming volume of calls — between 20 and 40 every day — each one a desperate plea for help. Many of the missing are left behind due to injury, illness, or exhaustion. But while recovering remains can offer a measure of closure, identification is often impossible. That is why, beyond search and recovery missions, the Águilas also engaged in communication campaigns. They traveled to Central America to share information with migrants considering the journey, outlining the risks and common dangers of crossing the border.

Spare My Bones, Coyote! offers an intimate immersion into this relentless work and the lives shaped by it—an exploration of dedication, loss, and the quiet, ongoing struggle to bring answers to families searching for their own.