The first clip from “Peacock,” directed by “All Quiet on the Western Front” star Albrecht Schuch, has been revealed by MK2 ahead of the film’s world premiere in the Venice Critic’s Week competition.

The directorial debut of emerging Austrian filmmaker Bernhard Wenger. This idiosyncratic tragicomedy revolves around the Japanese and US concept of 'Rent a Friend' and offers a satirical look at societal values.

“Peacock” tells the story of Matthias (Schuch), who works at a rent-a-friend agency and finds it increasingly difficult to open up and be authentic in his personal life. Wenger noted that he got the idea to make a film about the subject after a research trip to Japan and that the character of Matthias was based on an agency employee he met there.

"The premise of the film is therefore not an abstract dystopian construct, but rather a threatening reality that I am concerned about," he said, adding that he was "influenced by Scandinavian cinema and British black comedy." Wenger said the film features "very visual humor" and places characters in "strange situations that we all know from everyday life."