{"id":5106,"date":"2025-11-11T17:05:27","date_gmt":"2025-11-11T16:05:27","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.sicvenezia.it\/sic-oscar-peacock\/"},"modified":"2025-11-11T17:19:32","modified_gmt":"2025-11-11T16:19:32","slug":"sic-oscar-peacock","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.sicvenezia.it\/en\/sic-oscar-peacock\/","title":{"rendered":"From SIC to the Oscars: Peacock by Bernhard Wenger is Austria’s Official Oscar Entry"},"content":{"rendered":"

Last year, at the 39. SIC – International Critics\u2019 Week, Austrian director Bernhard Wenger<\/strong> made its debut with his first feature film, Peacock<\/strong>.\u00a0Over the past few months, we have followed Peacock\u2019s journey with pride, up to its most recent and exciting milestone as Austria\u2019s Official Entry<\/strong> for the Best International Feature Film<\/strong> category at the Academy Awards<\/strong>.<\/p>\n

Inspired by the Rent-A-Friend agencies phenomenon, Wenger has managed to portray \u2014 with both irony and compassion \u2014 the existential condition of the modern man and \u201cthe inevitable realisation of a bitter truth: life is fiction, life is appearance, life is vanity\u201d (Beatrice Fiorentino<\/strong>, General Delegate<\/strong>).<\/p>\n

Albrecht Schuch<\/strong>\u00a0(All Quiet on the Western Front<\/em>) stars as Matthias, a master of his profession.
\nNeed a \u201ccultured boyfriend\u201d to impress your friends?
\nA \u201cperfect son\u201d to influence your business partners\u2019 opinion of you?
\nOr maybe just a sparring partner to rehearse an argument?
\nWhatever it is, you can just rent a Matthias.
\nBut while he excels at pretending to be someone else every day, just being himself is the real challenge.<\/p>\n

Following its participation at SIC, Peacock continued its journey at various festivals, including Viennale \u2013 Vienna International Film Festival, Stockholm Film Festival (Best Debut) and Les Arcs Film Festival (Audience Award).\u00a0The film went on to sell in nearly 40 countries worldwide and is now screening all over Europe and the United States.<\/p>\n

\u201cA sparkling, funny, and gently poignant debut. A superb black comedy \u2014 surprisingly polished and witty. This Critics\u2019 Week standout has already achieved strong sales thanks to its sparkling, easily exportable satire and Albrecht Schuch\u2019s magnetic performance. A remarkable comic turn of physical ingenuity and repressed emotional despair from Schuch. A film smart and original enough to withstand inevitable comparisons with Yorgos Lanthimos and Ruben \u00d6stlund \u2014 though\u00a0Peacock\u00a0is a degree or two warmer than both. Wenger\u2019s screenplay is a cleverly balanced contraption that sharply yet compassionately targets corporate and capitalist ideals of self-improvement and social coordination, without mocking the individuals trapped by them.\u201d
\nGuy Lodge, Variety<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cAn assured, witty debut. Smoothly structured and peppered with dry comic moments. The smart concept, social commentary, and a strong central performance combine to create a polished, slyly entertaining work that should attract arthouse audiences. Wenger reveals his affinities with Yorgos Lanthimos and Ruben \u00d6stlund in his approach to human vulnerability and social critique. Schuch\u2019s sincere performance and comic timing ensure that Matthias remains a sympathetic presence as he navigates the horrors and opportunities of a brave new life based on honesty.\u201d
\nAllan Hunter, SCREEN<\/strong><\/p>\n

\u201cA dry, accentuated humour that tiptoes around the surreal. Schuch has chameleonic qualities. No matter what over-the-top scenarios Wenger throws at him, he embraces them and plays them straight, further enhancing the satire. The humour in this (anti-)hero\u2019s journey does not stem from quips or slapstick, but rather from the tragic realities of life\u2019s absurdities.\u201d
\nSusanne Gottlieb, Cineuropa<\/strong><\/p>\n

We could not be more proud to have been part of this exciting journey and we can only wish the very best of luck to the Peacock team, as we look forward to discovering where this adventure will lead next.\u00a0For additional details and further updates, you can visit mk2films.com<\/a> or Peacock official Instagram<\/a> page.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Last year, at the 39. SIC – International Critics\u2019 Week, Austrian director Bernhard Wenger made its debut with his first feature film, Peacock.\u00a0Over the past few months, we have followed Peacock\u2019s journey with pride, up to its most recent and exciting milestone as Austria\u2019s Official Entry for the Best International Feature Film category at the […]<\/p>\n

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