Chilean filmmaker Maite Alberdi’s latest work, A Child of My Own, blurs the line between stylized drama and documentary, creating a haunting exploration of truth, memory, and maternal longing.
A Hybrid Approach
Alberdi, known for her Oscar-nominated The Mole Agent and The Eternal Memory, returns to documentary filmmaking after her narrative experiment In Her Place. This time, she tackles the real-life case of a Mexican nurse imprisoned for abducting another woman’s baby. The film begins with candy-colored dramatizations, shot by DP Sergio Armstrong and designed by Estefania Larran de la Cerda, that immerse viewers in the protagonist Alejandra’s perspective. Played by Ana Celeste in her youth and appearing herself in interviews, Alejandra is portrayed as a sympathetic figure whose desperate desire for motherhood leads to questionable choices.
Fact vs. Fiction
The dramatizations lean toward farce at times — Alejandra faking an ultrasound, for example — raising doubts about whether events unfolded as shown. Yet Alberdi’s documentary framing in the second half confirms the shocking reality: Alejandra convinced her family and colleagues of her pregnancy until the day of Mayra’s delivery, when her plan unraveled. The film then pivots to prison life, where Alejandra spent 14 years. Alberdi captures her resilience and sisterhood behind bars, while also highlighting the emotional wounds in her marriage. Arturo, her husband, admits his own complicity, retracting his youthful claim that he could never love an adopted child.
Missing Voices
While Alejandra’s story dominates, the perspective of Mayra — the mother whose child was taken — receives less attention. This imbalance leaves viewers questioning whether Alberdi’s compassionate lens obscures harsher truths.
Final Impressions
A Child of My Own is both poignant and unsettling. Its glossy dramatizations contrast sharply with stark legal realities, leaving audiences to wrestle with ambiguity. Alberdi’s choice to humanize Alejandra without fully exploring other viewpoints may frustrate some, but it undeniably provokes reflection on motherhood, loss, and the fragile boundary between empathy and accountability.
