Active Radio has launched a new documentary podcast that relies on depth and empathy rather than sensation. Motýl za katrem presents the personal testimony of a woman who smuggled drugs, lost her freedom and found herself in prison. It opens up the topics of failure, transformation and second chances, and at the same time takes a look behind the scenes of the Czech court and prison system.
The project is led by documentary filmmaker Markéta “Oddfish” Nešlehová, who set out to document the life story of Markéta Klimtová. A film was originally planned, but their joint work naturally grew into a podcast format that gives room to emotions, context and a spiritual dimension. At first listen it sounds like classic true crime. In fact, however, it is a podcast about courage, faith and transformation. About how a fall can lead to growth.
The road to freedom
The first episodes follow Markéta’s path from her conviction for drug smuggling, through years spent in prisons in Sri Lanka and Czechia, to the search for lost dignity. But the series goes further. It asks what a fairer and more humane prison system could look like.
“We want change in the system, in prisons, but also in how people and society think. We are not setting ourselves small goals. We are both fighters, and we would like people to be kinder to one another and to lead a dignified life, regardless of whether they are behind bars or in front of them,” says Nešlehová. Markéta Klimtová adds: “I would like people not to give up on their lives, whatever they may be. To be able to hand over the bad things to God and start again.”
Created under the wing of Active Radio
The podcast is produced in the Active Radio studio, where an in-house team handles the recordings, editing and post-production. “After each episode, we held joint brainstorming sessions with both Markétas and Ondra Musil, which helped us keep a balance between emotion and objectivity,” says Josefína Kováčová from production. “Many true crime podcasts do not deal with any internal system at all. We look behind the scenes of court proceedings and the prison environment, which is in itself original. The goal was to stay objective, involve experts and show how the system works from the inside,” she adds.
Awareness, second chances and a film on the horizon
The podcast does not end with the personal story. Upcoming episodes will bring interviews with experts and with people who help others return to society. The project also includes awareness work on prisons and cooperation with initiatives that support resocialisation after a prison sentence.
“Motýl za katrem is something that has stayed with me since 2018,” says Klimtová. “That was when the idea of helping others was born in Sri Lanka. Now I want the project to grow in Czechia too. And who knows, perhaps worldwide. Prisons are everywhere.” Nešlehová adds: “As a documentary filmmaker, I feel a responsibility to let this voice out into the world, so that it can help other people who are going through their own transformation from a caterpillar into a butterfly.”
Comments