SYNOPSIS

Based on true events, the film tells the story of the spectacular escape of a French diplomat. The victim of a plot orchestrated by the Russian secret services (FSB), Mathieu, who is director of the Alliance Française in Irkutsk, Siberia, is arrested, imprisoned and isolated. He has nowhere to turn. He realises that he is the victim of a Kompromat: a baselessly constructed dossier that seeks to incriminate him. Proving his innocence is impossible: the only solution is to escape.


CINDIE SAYS:

“Kompromat” (2022) is a gripping thriller based on a real-life story that combines high-stakes suspense with an emotional narrative about survival, resilience, and courage. Directed by Jérôme Salle, known for his previous hit Zulu (2013), this film takes audiences through a labyrinth of political intrigue, focusing on the harrowing experience of a French diplomat who becomes entangled in a Russian state conspiracy.

What makes Kompromat fascinating is how it delves into the “kompromat” tactic, something rarely explored in cinema. The political tactic, revived in contemporary Russia, is depicted here in all its terrifying potential, as Roussel becomes the scapegoat of a powerful government plot designed to dismantle his reputation and life. The film captures this machinery of state-sponsored defamation and turns it into a thrilling narrative, illustrating just how real and potent these threats are in today’s global political landscape.