ABOUT THE MOVIE
Synopsis
In early 2009, Ely Ortiz received a heartbreaking call informing him that his brother and nephew had died in the Arizona desert while attempting to cross the border into the United States. He and his wife, Marisela, searched the desert for two days before finding their bodies in a heartbreaking state.
Since then, for the past twelve years, Ely and Marisela have devoted every other weekend to organizing search and rescue missions in the Mexican-American desert. Their aim is to locate and return the bodies of migrants who died during the crossing on foot. Their efforts have earned them a solid reputation in Latin America, and they receive 20, 30, 40 calls a day from desperate families seeking their help.
Despite the exhaustion, burn-out and post-traumatic stress they suffer, they haven't taken a day off from volunteering in twelve years. But how could they stop? What about the thirty desperate calls they receive every day? What about the families who rely on their support?
director’s note
It is an undeniable truth that mass displacements will continue to intensify over the coming years—and with them, exile, distress, and social conflict. Both in subject and in form, Spare My Bones, Coyote! could not be more timely. Its very reason for being is urgency, and its mission is to communicate a forgotten truth and provide a counter-narrative to the prevailing media polarization.
Our film is a collaboration between the volunteers of The Águilas and our team, where each group’s efforts complement the other’s—logistically and ethically. The first time I met Ely, Marisela, The Águilas, and witnessed their work, it was immediately clear to me that their story needed to be told on the big screen, with the scale and depth it deserved. To that end, the team and I accompanied them on half a dozen outings over three years, capturing footage that would immerse the audience in the experience in real time. In return for our commitment, The Águilas granted us unprecedented access and treated us as one of their own.
Unlike borders drawn with straight lines and reinforced with towering walls and barriers, desert landscapes serve as borders by sheer force of nature—they are vast, hostile, and extremely dangerous. The contrast was striking between the rhythm of the search missions—intense, tense, expansive, where the desert takes on such presence it becomes a character in its own right—and the pace of everyday urban life—calm, slow, and constantly interrupted by distress calls and emergencies. I wanted the film’s editing to reflect these contradictions, and for the visual composition to elevate these landscapes to the status of full-fledged characters.
The presence of migrants on screen—through their videos and voices—had to be handled with unwavering care and ethical responsibility. For this reason, it was essential that the film crew be multicultural. I myself am Lebanese, from an Arab culture that is often demonized—and not just a little. Lebanon has seen its share of migration, both into and out of the country, depending on the civil wars that have plagued us. Still, I was caught off guard by the humanitarian disaster unfolding at the Mexico–US border—something I could never have imagined taking place between two countries technically at peace. Producer Dominique Dussault has made women’s representation her personal crusade—both on screen, with complex and meaningful characters, and behind the camera, through the diverse teams she assembles for her films. Director of photography Nicolas Taborga, of Bolivian origin, is personally affected by the film’s themes and the people portrayed. Editor Gisela Restrepo, originally from Colombia, has deep insight into issues of migration and political violence in Latin America. And Canadian editor Marie-Pier Dupuis masterfully amplified the tension in these contradictory situations to convey them to the widest possible audience.
Beyond partisan activism, what mattered to me, through Spare My Bones, Coyote!, was to portray with nuance the many tragedies of the humanitarian catastrophe that the Mexico–US border has become, and to explore the deep inner wounds caused by life-altering decisions over which those involved—whether migrants, volunteers, or participants—often have little to no control.
Team
With
The Águilas Del Desierto, Marisela Ortiz & Ely Ortiz
Direction
Jonah Malak
Production
Dominique Dussault
Cinematography
Nicolas Taborga
Editing
Marie-Pier Dupuis, Gisela Restrepo & Jonah Malak
Sound
Sylvain Brassard
Original score
Marc Bell
Upcoming Screenings
Support the Aguilas Del Desierto
Sometimes, they rescue migrants in distress; other times, they search for the remains of a loved one whose life was taken by the desert.
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