Oscar-Nominated Chilean Director Maite Alberdi Returns to Docu-Fiction With 'A Child of My Own' at Berlinale

When Chilean filmmaker Maite Alberdi first heard Alejandra's story, she knew it was too extraordinary for fiction alone. A woman who faked an entire pregnancy to satisfy her husband and his family, who sustained the deception for months before crossing an irreversible line — the kind of story that demands the texture of documentary truth and the emotional architecture of narrative cinema Chile’s Maite Alberdi Re-Visits the Docu-Fiction Format in ‘A Child of My Own’variety.com·SecondaryChile’s much-lauded documentarian Maite Alberdi, after making her first fiction feature “In Her Place,” has returned to her roots with her latest opus, “A Child of My Own” (“Un hijo propio”). Not unlike her Oscar-nominated “The Mole Agent,” Alberdi toys with the docu-fiction hybrid format, but in “Child,” she also breaks the fourth wall in some key moments..

The result is A Child of My Own (Un hijo propio), which world premiered on Friday at the 76th Berlin International Film Festival in the Berlinale Special section. Produced by Gato Grande for Netflix, the film marks Alberdi's return to the docu-fiction hybrid format that defined her Oscar-nominated breakthrough The Mole Agent — but pushes it further, breaking the fourth wall at key moments and spanning 16 years of its subject's life Chile’s Maite Alberdi Re-Visits the Docu-Fiction Format in ‘A Child of My Own’variety.com·SecondaryChile’s much-lauded documentarian Maite Alberdi, after making her first fiction feature “In Her Place,” has returned to her roots with her latest opus, “A Child of My Own” (“Un hijo propio”). Not unlike her Oscar-nominated “The Mole Agent,” Alberdi toys with the docu-fiction hybrid format, but in “Child,” she also breaks the fourth wall in some key moments..

The facts of the case are stark. In 2008, Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza — known as Ale — began faking a pregnancy after three miscarriages left her desperate to meet the expectations of her husband Arturo and his family in Mexico Valentine’s Day Gift: First Look At ‘A Child Of My Own,’ Maite Alberdi’s Tale Of Love, Motherhood & Deception – Berlin Film Festivaldeadline.com·SecondaryEXCLUSIVE: Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza, known as Ale, felt enormous pressure to have a baby – from her husband, her mother-in-law, from Mexican society in general. But after three miscarriages she became desperate and from there flowed a strange tale that world burst into national and international headlines. The story – of a baby gifted or a baby stolen — is told in A Child of My Own (Un Hijo Propio), directed by two-time Oscar nominee Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent, The Eternal Memory).. She gained weight to simulate gestation and, at some point during her purported pregnancy, met a young woman who was expecting and claimed not to want the child. In June 2009, Ale went to the Hospital General de México, where she worked, and left with a newborn girl tucked into a bag Valentine’s Day Gift: First Look At ‘A Child Of My Own,’ Maite Alberdi’s Tale Of Love, Motherhood & Deception – Berlin Film Festivaldeadline.com·SecondaryEXCLUSIVE: Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza, known as Ale, felt enormous pressure to have a baby – from her husband, her mother-in-law, from Mexican society in general. But after three miscarriages she became desperate and from there flowed a strange tale that world burst into national and international headlines. The story – of a baby gifted or a baby stolen — is told in A Child of My Own (Un Hijo Propio), directed by two-time Oscar nominee Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent, The Eternal Memory).. She and Arturo were later arrested at the Hotel Hollywood in Mexico City.

News reports at the time cast Ale as a baby thief. Alberdi's film does something more complicated: it tells the story from Ale's perspective without absolving her, using professional actors for dramatized scenes built from Ale's testimony while weaving in documentary interviews with the real principals Valentine’s Day Gift: First Look At ‘A Child Of My Own,’ Maite Alberdi’s Tale Of Love, Motherhood & Deception – Berlin Film Festivaldeadline.com·SecondaryEXCLUSIVE: Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza, known as Ale, felt enormous pressure to have a baby – from her husband, her mother-in-law, from Mexican society in general. But after three miscarriages she became desperate and from there flowed a strange tale that world burst into national and international headlines. The story – of a baby gifted or a baby stolen — is told in A Child of My Own (Un Hijo Propio), directed by two-time Oscar nominee Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent, The Eternal Memory).. "When I listened to this amazing, unbelievable story, it was like, I need to make a film of this," Alberdi told Deadline in an exclusive interview timed to the premiere Valentine’s Day Gift: First Look At ‘A Child Of My Own,’ Maite Alberdi’s Tale Of Love, Motherhood & Deception – Berlin Film Festivaldeadline.com·SecondaryEXCLUSIVE: Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza, known as Ale, felt enormous pressure to have a baby – from her husband, her mother-in-law, from Mexican society in general. But after three miscarriages she became desperate and from there flowed a strange tale that world burst into national and international headlines. The story – of a baby gifted or a baby stolen — is told in A Child of My Own (Un Hijo Propio), directed by two-time Oscar nominee Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent, The Eternal Memory)..

Alberdi, 42, is the first Chilean woman to have been nominated for an Academy Award. The Mole Agent earned her a Best Documentary Feature nomination in 2021 for its inventive conceit — sending an elderly man undercover into a nursing home — and was subsequently adapted by Netflix into A Man on the Inside, starring Ted Danson, which was recently renewed for a third season Valentine’s Day Gift: First Look At ‘A Child Of My Own,’ Maite Alberdi’s Tale Of Love, Motherhood & Deception – Berlin Film Festivaldeadline.com·SecondaryEXCLUSIVE: Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza, known as Ale, felt enormous pressure to have a baby – from her husband, her mother-in-law, from Mexican society in general. But after three miscarriages she became desperate and from there flowed a strange tale that world burst into national and international headlines. The story – of a baby gifted or a baby stolen — is told in A Child of My Own (Un Hijo Propio), directed by two-time Oscar nominee Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent, The Eternal Memory).. Her film The Eternal Memory, about a Chilean journalist's battle with Alzheimer's, earned a second Oscar nomination. Her pivot to fiction with In Her Place (2024), also for Netflix, signaled a willingness to work across formats. But A Child of My Own represents something more ambitious: a true synthesis of both approaches within a single film.

"I usually shoot the present, with observation," Alberdi explained. "And here for me to understand the actual context, I needed to tell that past and that story that happened 13 years before. It's not fiction for me; it's more like a recreation of her point of view" Valentine’s Day Gift: First Look At ‘A Child Of My Own,’ Maite Alberdi’s Tale Of Love, Motherhood & Deception – Berlin Film Festivaldeadline.com·SecondaryEXCLUSIVE: Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza, known as Ale, felt enormous pressure to have a baby – from her husband, her mother-in-law, from Mexican society in general. But after three miscarriages she became desperate and from there flowed a strange tale that world burst into national and international headlines. The story – of a baby gifted or a baby stolen — is told in A Child of My Own (Un Hijo Propio), directed by two-time Oscar nominee Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent, The Eternal Memory)..

The film was shot in Mexico with a professional cast led by Ana Celeste Montalvo Peña as Ale and Armando Espitia as Arturo, alongside Luisa Guzmán, Mayra Sérbulo, Casio Figueroa, Alejandro Porter, Mayra Batalla, and Ángeles Cruz Chile’s Maite Alberdi Re-Visits the Docu-Fiction Format in ‘A Child of My Own’variety.com·SecondaryChile’s much-lauded documentarian Maite Alberdi, after making her first fiction feature “In Her Place,” has returned to her roots with her latest opus, “A Child of My Own” (“Un hijo propio”). Not unlike her Oscar-nominated “The Mole Agent,” Alberdi toys with the docu-fiction hybrid format, but in “Child,” she also breaks the fourth wall in some key moments.. The script was written by Julián Loyola and Esteban Student, co-writers of Pablo Trapero's acclaimed Argentine crime drama The Clan . Alberdi initially wanted non-professional actors but realized the demands were too complex. "They had to embody people who actually exist. For that, you need truly great actors," she said. The actors spent extensive time speaking with the real people they portrayed, since the film transitions midway from dramatized sequences to the documentary subjects themselves Chile’s Maite Alberdi Re-Visits the Docu-Fiction Format in ‘A Child of My Own’variety.com·SecondaryChile’s much-lauded documentarian Maite Alberdi, after making her first fiction feature “In Her Place,” has returned to her roots with her latest opus, “A Child of My Own” (“Un hijo propio”). Not unlike her Oscar-nominated “The Mole Agent,” Alberdi toys with the docu-fiction hybrid format, but in “Child,” she also breaks the fourth wall in some key moments..

The production brought together a multinational team: Argentine screenwriters and producer, a Chilean production designer and cinematographer, and a predominantly Mexican crew Chile’s Maite Alberdi Re-Visits the Docu-Fiction Format in ‘A Child of My Own’variety.com·SecondaryChile’s much-lauded documentarian Maite Alberdi, after making her first fiction feature “In Her Place,” has returned to her roots with her latest opus, “A Child of My Own” (“Un hijo propio”). Not unlike her Oscar-nominated “The Mole Agent,” Alberdi toys with the docu-fiction hybrid format, but in “Child,” she also breaks the fourth wall in some key moments.. Sandra Godínez, who served as producer on Alfonso Cuarón's Roma, produced alongside Gato Grande CEO Carla González Vargas and Maximiliano Sanguine Chile’s Maite Alberdi Re-Visits the Docu-Fiction Format in ‘A Child of My Own’variety.com·SecondaryChile’s much-lauded documentarian Maite Alberdi, after making her first fiction feature “In Her Place,” has returned to her roots with her latest opus, “A Child of My Own” (“Un hijo propio”). Not unlike her Oscar-nominated “The Mole Agent,” Alberdi toys with the docu-fiction hybrid format, but in “Child,” she also breaks the fourth wall in some key moments..

At its core, the film is an interrogation of the social pressures that drove Ale to such an extreme act. Alberdi frames the story within the context of Latin American machismo — the relentless expectation that women must bear children to fulfill their role in family and society Valentine’s Day Gift: First Look At ‘A Child Of My Own,’ Maite Alberdi’s Tale Of Love, Motherhood & Deception – Berlin Film Festivaldeadline.com·SecondaryEXCLUSIVE: Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza, known as Ale, felt enormous pressure to have a baby – from her husband, her mother-in-law, from Mexican society in general. But after three miscarriages she became desperate and from there flowed a strange tale that world burst into national and international headlines. The story – of a baby gifted or a baby stolen — is told in A Child of My Own (Un Hijo Propio), directed by two-time Oscar nominee Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent, The Eternal Memory).. "It's trying to understand the context, to understand the pain, to understand how the social pressure to be a mother in some countries — mostly in Latin America — it's so heavy in these macho cultures, and how extreme that can be," she told Deadline Valentine’s Day Gift: First Look At ‘A Child Of My Own,’ Maite Alberdi’s Tale Of Love, Motherhood & Deception – Berlin Film Festivaldeadline.com·SecondaryEXCLUSIVE: Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza, known as Ale, felt enormous pressure to have a baby – from her husband, her mother-in-law, from Mexican society in general. But after three miscarriages she became desperate and from there flowed a strange tale that world burst into national and international headlines. The story – of a baby gifted or a baby stolen — is told in A Child of My Own (Un Hijo Propio), directed by two-time Oscar nominee Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent, The Eternal Memory)..

Critically, the film does not present a one-sided account. Alberdi interviewed the biological mother, who denies there was ever an arrangement to hand over the child. "I'm very grateful to have the opportunity to hear the other voice, to understand the pain of the two sides," the director said Valentine’s Day Gift: First Look At ‘A Child Of My Own,’ Maite Alberdi’s Tale Of Love, Motherhood & Deception – Berlin Film Festivaldeadline.com·SecondaryEXCLUSIVE: Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza, known as Ale, felt enormous pressure to have a baby – from her husband, her mother-in-law, from Mexican society in general. But after three miscarriages she became desperate and from there flowed a strange tale that world burst into national and international headlines. The story – of a baby gifted or a baby stolen — is told in A Child of My Own (Un Hijo Propio), directed by two-time Oscar nominee Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent, The Eternal Memory).. Some critics may argue that centering Ale's perspective risks sentimentalizing a criminal act. The woman she took the baby from has a different story entirely, and no amount of empathetic framing can erase the violation. Alberdi appears aware of this tension — the film's structure deliberately shifts the viewer's alignment as new perspectives emerge.

The Berlinale Special section, where the film premieres, is reserved for high-profile works that don't compete for the Golden Bear but carry significant cultural weight. Alberdi said Berlin was the ideal venue: "The exchange with audiences is always deeply enriching. This is a film that sparks strong debate and meaningful conversation — discussions I'm very eager to have with both viewers and the press" Chile’s Maite Alberdi Re-Visits the Docu-Fiction Format in ‘A Child of My Own’variety.com·SecondaryChile’s much-lauded documentarian Maite Alberdi, after making her first fiction feature “In Her Place,” has returned to her roots with her latest opus, “A Child of My Own” (“Un hijo propio”). Not unlike her Oscar-nominated “The Mole Agent,” Alberdi toys with the docu-fiction hybrid format, but in “Child,” she also breaks the fourth wall in some key moments..

With Netflix already attached for global distribution, A Child of My Own bypasses the usual festival acquisition scramble. Alberdi acknowledged the unusual position: "It's the best of two worlds. I'm in festivals and I have the connections with the audience, and then the opportunity to be massive in the access to some houses that I would never have if you are not with Netflix" Valentine’s Day Gift: First Look At ‘A Child Of My Own,’ Maite Alberdi’s Tale Of Love, Motherhood & Deception – Berlin Film Festivaldeadline.com·SecondaryEXCLUSIVE: Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza, known as Ale, felt enormous pressure to have a baby – from her husband, her mother-in-law, from Mexican society in general. But after three miscarriages she became desperate and from there flowed a strange tale that world burst into national and international headlines. The story – of a baby gifted or a baby stolen — is told in A Child of My Own (Un Hijo Propio), directed by two-time Oscar nominee Maite Alberdi (The Mole Agent, The Eternal Memory).. Whether A Child of My Own becomes another awards-season contender remains to be seen — but with two Oscar nominations already behind her and a film that asks uncomfortable questions about motherhood, desperation, and the limits of empathy, Alberdi has once again positioned herself at the intersection of documentary ethics and mainstream cinema.