Bernhard Wenger‘s film “Peacock“, in competition at the Venice International Festival Critics’ Week, is an acidic, marauding comedy about appearing, adapting to please others, sacrificing one’s personality and losing oneself. The director talks with Fred Radio about it, form the inspiration to the meanings that he wanted to convey.
The European adaptation of a very common Japanese reality
Bernhard Wegner was inspired for “Peacock” by an encounter with a man working for a friend-rental agency in Japan, who suffered a personality disorder as he could no longer recognise himself amidst the thousands of personas he had to take on for work. From this tragic personal story comes the fierce satire of the film.
The protagonist’s life outside reality is also reflected in the aesthetics of the film
The aesthetic choice for the film that Bernhard Wenger decided on, together with his d.o.p., was that of hyper-realism and cold perfection, which the protagonist always carries within himself (so much so that he is inept and passive in his private life) and which he transports into the fictitious lives of his characters, so much that defines him forever.
Plot
Matthias is a master of his profession. Do you need a ‘cultured boyfriend’ to impress your friends? A ‘perfect son’ to influence your business partners’ opinion of you? Or maybe just a sparring partner to rehearse an argument? Whatever it is, just rent Matthias! While he excels at pretending to be someone else every day, just being himself is the real challenge.