FilmSharks has released the first trailer for “The Death of a Comedian” (La Muerte de un Comediante), the directorial debut of Argentine actor Diego Peretti. The film, which was written and starred by Peretti, recently completed post-production and is now preparing for release. FilmSharks is handling the global sales for the project.
While it is common to list producers for a film, this project stands out for its unique funding model. The film was backed by 10,190 individual investors, all part of the Orsai Community, making “The Death of a Comedian” one of the most innovative Argentine films in recent years. The Orsai Community, founded by writer, journalist, and cultural entrepreneur Hernán Casciari, is a crowdfunding platform that supports all its projects with contributions from over 15,000 small-scale investors.
The film tells the story of Juan Debré (played by Peretti), an actor who spent his life playing heroes in television series but never truly understood himself. After being diagnosed with a terminal illness, he embarks on a surreal journey to Belgium — the birthplace of his childhood comic book idol — in search of meaning in life, and perhaps redemption.
Notable Argentine actress Malena Villa, known for her standout performance in “Crying” and recent roles in Pablo Stoll’s “Summer Hit” and Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s “The Beloved,” also stars in the film.
Peretti co-directed with Javier Beltrán, known for his short animated works, and the film’s tone contrasts sharply with Peretti’s previous comedic projects, such as “Not You, It’s Me.” Instead, “The Death of a Comedian” leans more toward tragicomedy and existential themes.
“I want to inject new life into how we perceive the ordinary things around us. But how should we view them? Like a child, seeing reality for the first time outside of themselves,” Peretti told Variety, citing inspiration from comic book aesthetics and surrealist painter René Magritte.
The sentiment is echoed in the trailer, where a voiceover says, “Life is beautiful… and also magical… though perhaps too brief to notice,” as we see Peretti, wearing a bowler hat, wandering through the suburbs of Belgium, without luggage, on a one-way street, searching for something.
“The Death of a Comedian” marks an ambitious and deeply personal project for Peretti, who hopes it will offer a fresh perspective on the meaning of life and identity. The film is expected to be one of the most talked-about releases in Argentine cinema this year.
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