Netflix’s August 2026 true crime documentary A Child of My Own begins as a scripted telenovela before it transitions to a more traditional documentary-styled film. Throughout the film, viewers watch Eleonor Alejandra Marín Mendoza fake her pregnancy until she’s accused of stealing a newborn baby at a hospital in Mexico City.
In light of the unique set up of the movie, many viewers are likely wondering if A Child of My Own is a true story.
Everything to know about the true story behind the latest Netflix documentary, below.
Is ‘A Child of My Own’ a True Story?
While part of the documentary is scripted, A Child of My Own is, in fact, a true story. However, half of the film is scripted with actors and half of the film features interviews about the case.
What Is ‘A Child of My Own’ About?
After Mendoza experienced multiple miscarriages and the societal shame of being unable to become a mother, she faked a pregnancy and claimed she made a deal with an expectant mother who offered to give Mendoza her baby after birth. However, Mendoza and her husband, Arturo Calderón Gamiño, were arrested soon after she took the baby from the hospital and were charged with kidnapping.
How ‘A Child of My Own’ Follows 2 Different Narrative Styles
Director Maite Alberdi chose to begin the documentary with a montage of an audition process as they worked to cast the actors who portrayed Mendoza, her husband, Gamiño and their families.
The scripted portion of the film depicts Mendoza’s side of the story, in which she claimed she struggled with three pregnancy losses. When she got pregnant for the third time, she ultimately miscarried again – but she didn’t tell anyone and carried on as though she were still expecting. She claimed that she met a mom at the hospital she worked at, and they made an arrangement that Mendoza would take the baby after she gave birth.
“When we think of reenactments in documentaries, we usually think of reconstructing facts,” Alberdi told Netflix’s Tudum. “But what we were staging here was a point of view. Without experiencing events through Alejandra’s eyes, it would have been impossible to connect with her. We would have fallen back on the prejudices surrounding the case, on the way the media told the story, instead of the way she lived it. Every artistic decision was about imagining her reality. I think it’s wonderful that documentary filmmaking now allows for these kinds of formal freedoms.”
Halfway through the film, the narrative vision of the film shifts and launches into an investigation into the case and includes Mayra’s perspective.
Mayra claimed that she never agreed to give Mendoza her baby, and that the child was kidnapped.
Alberdi continues the film by breaking down the legal portion of the case, including court records, expert testimony and accounts of those who saw the incident play out firsthand.
Myra also appears in the documentary to share her side of the story. “The film would be entirely different without her,” Alberdi said. “Because she gives us the perspective of a different kind of pain.”
What Happened to Eleonor Alejandra Marin Mendoza and Arturo Calderon Gamino?
After the couple was arrested at a hotel on June 18, 2009, Mendoza was found guilty of kidnapping and was sentenced to serve 13 years in prison. Meanwhile, Gamiño was acquitted at the trial after he spent two years in prison.
When Does ‘A Child of My Own’ Come Out?
A Child of My Own was released on August 13, 2026, and is now available to stream on Netflix.
