Working for a rent-a-companion agency, 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 excelling at pretending to be someone else, just being himself is the real challenge. Matthias’ people-pleasing attitude has become so extreme that his girlfriend Sophia begins to wonder if he’s not actually role-playing himself as well. “You’re not real anymore,” she tells Matthias before she leaves him.
“Back in 2014, I came across “rent a friend” agencies, which have existed in Japan for two decades. You can rent friends, family members – anything you don't have in your life. I flew to Japan and met their employees. I not only learnt a lot about the background of these agencies and how the employees prepare, but I also met a person who told me that because of this peculiar profession, she no longer really knows who she is. I adopted this conflict for the main character and built the story around it.” (Bernhard Wenger)
Bernhard Wenger
Born in 1992, in Salzburg, Austria. He lives in Vienna, where he studied directing at the Vienna Film Academy. His debut feature film, Peacock, was Austria’s official entry for the 2026 Academy Awards Best International Feature Film. Employing a unique brand of humour, Wenger first attracted attention with his short films.