Peeling back the curtain on how nations such as Azerbaijan, Turkmenistan and Kazakhstan maintain their authoritarian and autocratic rule, this twisty and eye-opening documentary unravels like a nail-biting thriller. A band of courageous investigative journalists and whistleblowers – including incarcerated and targeted Khadija Ismayilova, who continued her intrepid work from prison during her sentence – explains and exposes the intricacies of how deep the rabbit hole of corruption goes, from offering pop stars millions for a performance at a presidents’ birthday celebration to pampering politicians with caviar and other lavish gifts to blackmailing and attempting to silence voices of dissent. From filmmaker Benoît Bringer – an investigative reporter in his own right who won the Pulitzer Prize for his contribution to the Panama Papers leak – this exposé is as much a cautionary tale to countries whose democracy is currently under threat as it is a tribute to the bravery and resilience of those in the free press, fighting selflessly for human rights across the globe.