I'm a Criminal • A Powerful Film on Child Marriage

In Guerrero, a state in southwest Mexico, over 300,000 girls have been sold into marriage, with countless others anticipating a similar destiny. Those who attempt to escape face legal prosecution, as demonstrated by the detention of 13-year-old Angelica, which came to public attention in 2021. Leveraging World Children’s Day as an opportunity to spread awareness of the issue, the nonprofit Yo Quiero, Yo Puedo—which specializes in educational and health programs for marginalized communities—partnered with Girls not Brides to develop a film that portrays this harsh reality that so many young girls face.

To truly capture the audience’s attention, we crafted an impactful film that tells the real story of Angelica’s detention, which was exposed to the world on October 18, 2021, thanks to the efforts of investigative journalists Raymundo Pérez Arellano and Fernando Guillen. The film centers around a police officer and devoted family man as he embarks on a relentless quest to locate a woman who has been missing for several months, much to the distress of her husband. With the support of the townspeople, he eventually succeeds in locating her. However, the audience is then confronted with a devastating revelation: the woman in question is actually a young girl who now faces the prospect of imprisonment for fleeing a marriage she was forced into.

While a film can’t solve the issue of child marriage, it can compel the audience to confront the harshness of this situation and support Girls not Brides in their ongoing efforts. Because of that, we took great care to ensure accuracy in every aspect of the film. We meticulously selected actors who closely resembled the original protagonists of this real-life story, and did the same for the scenery and wardrobe. The portrayal of the police officer held particular significance: his ordinary and amiable appearance served as a stark reminder that these events are unfolding in our own communities.

Thanks to Angelica’s story, we gave visibility to this major problem and raised thousands of donations so that girls like her do not reach the altar.