Maite Alberdi documentary explores real Mexican pregnancy fraud case

Netflix has released 'Un hijo propio', a documentary directed by Oscar-nominated Chilean filmmaker Maite Alberdi. The film reconstructs a real-life case from 2009 involving Alejandra Marín Mendoza, a woman who faked a pregnancy following multiple miscarriages.

Marín Mendoza maintained the deception for months, even organizing a baby shower, before ultimately stealing a newborn baby from a hospital in Mexico. The incident caused a national scandal and resulted in her being sentenced to 13 years in prison.

Alberdi, who met Marín Mendoza while researching at the Santa Martha Acatitla women's prison, focuses the documentary on the human element rather than a standard crime chronicle. The production explores the social pressures regarding motherhood and the psychological toll of repeated pregnancy losses that led to the extreme decision.