The Peacock (Pfau – Bin ich echt?, Bernhard Wenger)

Bernhard Wenger himself wrote the screenplay, in which he, like Greek director Yorgos Lanthimos, satirizes the bourgeois, blending absurd comedy with social critique.

Matthias (Albrecht Schuch), in his forties, works for the service My Companion. Within certain reasonable limits, he strives to be likable and always provide a satisfying service, keeping the client in focus.

He can be the obedient son at a father’s 60th birthday, a dad and pilot at his son’s school event, the culturally interesting sheikh at a party, or simply listen and guide when the man in a couple is hopelessly impossible. Whatever the client needs, Matthias is always the right choice.

He is especially delighted when positive reviews appear on My Companion’s website. Others, however, have to wait their turn.

Over time, the charming Matthias begins to doubt his own circumstances, and his services don’t always go as planned. As the Germans say, an “aber dabei” now appears in the story.