The Devil's Backbone

In the waning days of the Spanish Civil War, young Carlos (Fernando Tielve) is sent to live at an orphanage after his father dies in the war. Upon arrival at the orphanage, Carlos quickly discovers that the place is haunted and teeming with many dark secrets that he must uncover to survive. A chilling gothic horror film from acclaimed Director Guillermo del Toro, The Devil’s Backbone celebrates its 25th anniversary in 2026.

Enjoy a reading of selected works from writer Ruth Joffre before the film.

Ruth Joffre is a Bolivian American writer, editor, and critic. She is the author of the story collection Night Beast and the flash chapbook Lies I Tell My Children. Her work has been shortlisted for the Creative Capital Award, longlisted for The Story Prize, and supported by residencies at the Virginia Center for the Creative Arts, Lighthouse Works, The Writers’ Colony at Dairy Hollow, and The Arctic Circle.

Her writing has appeared or is forthcoming in more than 100 publications, including Lightspeed, Pleiades, Nightmare, TriQuarterly, Reckoning, Wigleaf, and numerous anthologies. A graduate of Cornell University and the Iowa Writers' Workshop, Ruth co-founded the Nightjar Arts Collective here in Columbia, Missouri.