FilmSharks has released the first trailer for Death of a Comedian (La Muerte de un Comediante), marking the directorial debut of acclaimed Argentine actor Diego Peretti. The film, which Peretti also wrote and stars in, recently completed post-production and is now entering the international market with global sales managed by FilmSharks.
What sets Death of a Comedian apart is not only its artistic ambition but its unconventional production model. Instead of relying on traditional producers, the film boasts a staggering 10,190 individual investors—members of the Orsai Community, a crowdfunding initiative spearheaded by author, journalist, and cultural entrepreneur Hernán Casciari. Orsai’s platform, which finances projects through its expansive grassroots investor base, has amassed over 15,000 micro-investors, making this movie one of Argentina’s most novel film endeavors in recent years.
The story centers on Juan Debré, portrayed by Peretti, a veteran television actor known for always playing the hero. Detached from his personal identity, Debré is forced to confront the meaning of his life after being diagnosed with a terminal illness. His search for truth and redemption takes him on a surreal odyssey to Belgium—the homeland of his childhood comic book idol.
Joining Peretti on screen is Malena Villa, recognized for her role in The Wailing. Villa continues her rising trajectory with recent appearances in Pablo Stoll’s Summer Hit and a part in Rodrigo Sorogoyen’s upcoming feature The Beloved, starring Javier Bardem.
Peretti co-directs alongside Javier Beltramino (Rice and Matchsticks), best known for his work in animated short films. The movie marks a striking shift for Peretti, who is widely known for lighter fare like It’s Not You, It’s Me. This new work explores deeper tragicomic and existential themes, inspired by surrealist art and comic book visuals.
“I want to breathe new life into the way we look at the ordinary things around us. But how should one look? Like a child, the first time it encounters a reality outside itself,” Peretti said in an earlier interview, referencing René Magritte and the aesthetics of graphic storytelling as major influences.
The trailer captures this philosophy with a poetic voiceover: “Life is beautiful…and magical…Although perhaps also too short to recognize it,” as a bowler-hat-wearing Peretti drifts through dreamlike Belgian landscapes—alone, untethered, and searching.
