Spare My Bones, Coyote! (French: Mais où va-t-on, coyote?) is a Canadian documentary film written and directed by Jonah Malak, following the daily lives of the volunteer group Águilas del Desierto.[1]
| Spare My Bones, Coyote! | |
|---|---|
| French | Mais où va-t-on, coyote? |
| Directed by | Jonah Malak |
| Written by | Jonah Malak |
| Produced by | Dominique Dussault |
| Starring | Ely Ortiz Marisela Ortiz Aguilas del Desierto |
| Cinematography | Nicolas Taborga |
| Edited by | Marie-Pier Dupuis Jonah Malak Gisela Restrepo |
| Music by | Marc Bell |
Production company | Nemesis Films |
Release date |
|
Running time | 84 minutes |
| Country | Canada |
The film released in theatres in Quebec on January 9, 2026.[2][3]
Synopsis
editOver the past twelve years, Marisela and Ely have wandered through the US-Mexican desert. Their goal: to search for, recover, and return the bodies of migrants who died while crossing on foot to their families. This takes a heavy toll on them, but they nonetheless pursue their mission. Spare My Bones, Coyote! follows their work, their dedication, and the difficult lives they have chosen to lead.
Distribution
editThe film premiered at the Hot Docs Canadian International Documentary Festival in Toronto on April 27, 2025.[4] The film was also selected for other festivals such as the DOXA Documentary Film Festival in Vancouver and the Shanghai International Film Festival in China.
The film won the Jury Award at DocsMX in Mexico and the Magus-Isacsson Award at Montreal International Documentary Festival (RIDM).[5]
The film received a Canadian Screen Award nomination for Best Feature Length Documentary at the 14th Canadian Screen Awards in 2026.[6] Marc Bell was also nominated for Best Original Music in a Documentary, and Sylvain Brassard was nominated for Best Sound Design in a Documentary.[6]
References
edit- ↑ Jeremy Kay. "Hot Docs entry 'Spare My Bones, Coyote!' lands sales agent; first trailer". Screen Daily. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
- ↑ "« Mais où va-t-on, Coyote ? » de Jonah Malak sera en première québécoise aux RIDM et à l'affiche le 9 janvier 2026". Qui fait Quoi / Lien MULTIMÉDIA (in French). November 7, 2025. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
- ↑ ICI.Radio-Canada.ca, Zone Arts- (January 8, 2026). "Mais où va-t-on, coyote? : chercher les morts pour apaiser les vivants". Radio-Canada (in Canadian French). Retrieved March 22, 2026.
- ↑ "« Mais où va-t-on, Coyote ? » de Jonah Malak sera présenté en première mondiale à Hot Docs". Qui fait Quoi (in Canadian French). April 7, 2025. Retrieved June 5, 2025.
- ↑ "Awards". Main Film. Retrieved December 12, 2025.
- 1 2 Pat Mullen, "Bam Bam: The Sister Nancy Story Leads Canadian Screen Awards Documentary Nominations". Point of View, March 25, 2026.