Peacock 2024

Pfau - Bin ich echt?

Directed by Bernhard Wenger

Mattias spends his days pretending to be someone else, offering companionship to strangers in need. Bernhard Wenger’s unsettling drama quietly dissects loneliness, identity and the cost of always performing.

Austria In English and German with English subtitles
102 minutes
M
Sex scenes, offensive language & nudity

Director, Screenplay

Producers

Michael Kitzberger, Wolfgang Widerhofer, Markus Glaser, Nikolaus Geyrhalter

Cinematography

Albin Wildner

Editor

Rupert Höller

Production Designer

Katharina Haring

Costume Designer

Gitti Fuchs

Music

Lukas Lauermann

Cast

Albrecht Schuch, Julia Franz Richter, Anton Noori, Theresa Frostad Eggesbø

Festivals

Venice 2024

Awards

Critics’ Week Award, Venice Film Festival 2024

Elsewhere

“Peacock or Chameleon – one or the other, at the same time, or both at different times? That is the dilemma faced by Matthias (Albrecht Schuch) in his job at a Rent-a-Friend agency, ‘The Good Companion’. Here, he has mastered the art of impersonation and is happy to oblige anyone. 

Over time, Matthias is unable to distinguish between his real life and the dictates of his work, leading to a breakdown in his relationship with Sophia (Julia Franz Richter). In spite of this, Matthias is incapable of seeing that he has lost his nature, personality and connection with feelings and eliminated all emotions.

On one level a comedy, on another a satire, Peacock draws the viewer into a journey of introspection, reflection and questioning of who they really are. These all combine to redefine the fine line between fiction and reality. Where does one draw this line?” — Mutale Kampuni, Film Ireland Magazine