An American woman's search for her birth mother unravels a dark web of illegal adoptions from Chile—exposing a covert operation fueled by interference from the U.S. government—leaving families now fighting for truth and accountability in the pursuit of justice.
As Adrian Reamey searches for her Chilean birth mother, she discovers an article about an American man stolen as a baby from Chile in the 1980s and trafficked to the United States through an illegal adoption — leaving Adrian grappling to wonder if she, too, was stolen. Her search quickly unravels into a full investigation in this three-part, true-crime docuseries where a horrifying truth emerges. An estimated 20,000 babies were trafficked internationally during the Pinochet dictatorship at the hands of an elaborate network involving the Chilean military government, judges, hospitals, Catholic priests, orphanages, and social workers.
Alongside powerful testimonies from other Chilean adoptees, birth mothers, economists, and politicians, government officials in both Chile and the United States provide shocking insight into the extent of the network and coverup, and the influence of the United States Government.
With heart-wrenching interviews, expert testimonies, and emotional reunions, Hola Mamá captures the profound toll of human rights violations and the battle of those now willing to fight for justice.
When American adoptee Adrian Reamey finds a news story about babies stolen from Chile, she begins to question her own adoption. Could she have been stolen, too? As she searches for answers, clues in her paperwork and help from Chilean nonprofit Nos Buscamos lead her to her birth mother. What begins as a personal search opens the door to a deeper investigation: one that exposes an extensive network and hints at a global crime hidden in plain sight.
Adrian’s search widens as she meets fellow Chilean adoptees with stories darker than her own—some stolen from hospitals, their birth mothers silenced or institutionalized, and records falsified to hide the crimes. As their stories converge, a broader picture emerges—a coordinated trafficking ring enabled by judges, priests, and hospitals, driven by profit and protected by Pinochet’s regime. Poverty was criminalized, motherhood weaponized—and what emerges is clear: this was a system.
Driven to uncover the truth, Adrian and fellow adoptees trace the adoption scheme back to its geopolitical roots. With expert insights and declassified documents, they reveal how U.S. support for Pinochet and Cold War ideology fueled a child export system disguised as aid. But justice stalls—buried under bureaucracy, shifting governments, and institutional silence. As they push forward, the trail leads to the highest levels of power in Chile and The United States—where accountability remains just out of reach.
Since the filming of Hola Mamá began in the summer of 2022, several of the adoptees featured in our film, as well as the NGO Nos Buscamos helping to facilitate reunions, have all received significant press coverage from various news and media outlets.
Here are some of the press highlights to date: