Kompromat

Mathieu Roussel (Gilles Lellouche) works for the Alliance Francaise, an organization that promotes cultural exchange between Russia and France. Mathieu has moved with his wife Alice (Elisa Lawoski) and their young daughter Rose to Irkutsk in Siberia, far away from France, for his work. Alice feels uncomfortable in Russia, and their marriage is in crisis. The evening of the inauguration of a new event hall turns into a fiasco for Mathieu and his delegation. A ballet performed by two men with homoerotic undertones upsets many of the Russian guests, including Mathieu's investor Sagarine (Igor Jijikine). At the party afterwards, Mathieu dances with Svetlana (Joanna Kulig), who is married to Sasha (Danila Vorobyev), a veteran of the Chechen wars. This marriage is also in crisis. Sasha's father Rostov (Mikhail Gorevoy) is the head of the local FSB, the Russian domestic intelligence service. He fears that Svetlana might leave his sick son. Shortly afterwards, Mathieu is arrested and ends up in a Russian prison. The charge: Article 242 - Mathieu is accused of distributing pornographic photos of children on the internet, and of molesting his own young daughter. Even his wife Alice has testified against Mathieu - as it turns out much later, Alice made her statement under duress. It was the only way she could leave the country with her child and return to France. The accusations against Mathieu are what is known as "kompromat", meaning they were fabricated by the FSB. Mathieu has made powerful enemies without realizing it. Borodin (Aleksey Gorbunov) becomes Mathieu's lawyer. Mathieu is released from custody before his trial but must wear an ankle bracelet. Abandoned by his wife and daughter, he returns to his home in Irkutsk, where he is monitored day and night. Mathieu decides to follow his lawyer's advice. His lawyer has made it clear to him that there is no escape from conviction and that Mathieu must leave the borders of the Russian Federation, an infinitely vast country. This is possible in two directions - towards Asia or towards Europe. But first he has to outwit his guards. Without help, this is almost impossible. And Mathieu gets help - from Svetlana. Nevertheless, his escape turns into a relentless chase through wintry Russia, in which Svetlana also gets caught between the fronts.