Kompromat

Kompromat is a 2022 French drama film directed by Jérôme Salle and written by Salle and Caryl Ferey. Plot Mathieu Roussel, director of the Alliance française in Irkutsk, works to promote the French language and francophone culture in the area. Roussel is unexpectedly forcefully removed from his home and charged by the FSB with dissemination of child pornography on the Internet and molesting his own daughter. He is remanded into custody pending further investigation under Article 242 of the Criminal Code of Russia. Elements intended to discredit Roussel's reputation by portraying him as a sexual deviant are gathered together as kompromat, such as child pornography planted on his computer and a dance performance he presented that contained a passionate dance between two men. The other prisoners learn of the charges and beat him mercilessly. Roussel's lawyer facilitates Roussel's relocation to house arrest under surveillance. Roussel obtains prohibited SIM cards from Svetlana, a woman who believes in his innocence and hates her father-in-law Rostov, head of the FSB. These enable him to send text messages to her and to use the Internet without detection. Roussel's lawyer recognizes that Roussel will be convicted and sentenced to 10 to 15 years, so he advises Roussel to escape. Roussel covers his ankle bracelet with aluminum foil to stop it from tracking and heads to the bus station. When the FSB notices that his ankle bracelet is not transmitting, Svetlana gives her husband the telephone number of the SIM card she gave to Roussel, which he passes on to the FSB. The FSB traces the number to a phone that has been left on the bus to Ulaanbaatar. Meanwhile, Svetlana has picked Roussel up in her car and taken him to another contact, who takes him to a secret apartment. Former Spetsnaz Sagarine is called in to find the fugitive. He immediately suspects Svetlana of assisting him but is unable to find any evidence. Roussel's photo is shown on TV and his neighbors report him, so he flees and escapes into Moscow with the help of a priest who claims to be the bishop of the patriarch of Moscow in order to stop a search and prevent Roussel from being found in the trunk of his car. Roussel reaches the French Embassy but the FSB quickly determines his location. Roussel attempts to escape amid a loud celebration being held at the embassy but is spotted by Sagarine. He manages to escape with the help of Svetlana, who drives him to the Estonian border.