'Aneta': Czech true crime documentary revisits mysterious 2014 Prague death

A young woman was killed in Prague on September 20, 2014 after suffering 13 stab wounds, many of them directly to the heart. Incredibly, this death was a suicide by local police, sparking controversy and debate that continues more than a decade later.

Anetaa new Czech true crime documentary about the case directed by Jiří Sádek (Polednice), opens in local theaters today and promises to shed new light on the investigation. It explores the unresolved questions surrounding the death of 23-year-old Aneta Rodová, who died in the Letňany district of Prague in 2013.

The film documents the decades-long journey of Aneta's mother, Anna Rodová, as she continues to search for clarity in her daughter's case, as well as the detailed re-investigation by Sádek and his team of journalists, filmmakers and forensic experts. Over 1,000 pages of police documents were analyzed and translated for international review, with the filmmakers contacting experts from the US, UK, Germany and France.

“I am not an avid true crime fan, but Aneta's case aroused in me a strong curiosity to understand what really happened,” Sádek said in a recent interview with Pražský deník, emphasizing the objective approach he took in creating it of the documentary. “As filmmakers, we are not judges; We have to keep our distance, even if we show compassion.”

The documentary has received significant media attention in the Czech Republic as it sheds a critical light on the original police investigation. The case was officially closed by authorities because there was insufficient evidence to continue a murder investigation.

However, Anna Rodová and other voices in the film argue that this conclusion is premature and based on an incomplete analysis of the available evidence. Rodová's efforts to reopen the case have so far been unsuccessful, although the release of Aneta could generate renewed public interest and re-examination of the original findings.

According to her mother, Aneta's memory has been marred by negative portrayals in the media and the official record, and she hopes the film will help counteract this. “I hope this film shows the world who my daughter really was, beyond the distortions of the investigation,” she says in the documentary.

Czech actress Vivien Machková plays the role of Aneta in reenactments of the events that led to her death. In interviews, Machková has spoken about the psychological impact of the role, noting how the dark and emotionally charged material weighed on her throughout production.

Blurring the lines between investigative documentary and thriller, the documentary highlights the resilience of those affected by Aneta's death while raising new questions about the case itself. Sádek noted that he was inspired by the famous American documentary filmmaker Errol Morris.

“I personally love the documentary The thin blue line by Errol Morris from 1988,” the director told Pražský deník. “For me it is the pinnacle of narrative true crime, even though it is a 35-year-old film. Morris showed how it can be done well.”

Produced by Jiří Tucek and distributed locally by Donart, Aneta is now showing in cinemas throughout the Czech Republic. An English subtitled version is yet to hit local screens.