 In Rent a Friend the talented painter ARTHUR is suffering from an artist s block. Alfred does not bother about becoming rich and famous. He sticks to painting bright coloured Mexican hats. Alfred s total lack of ambition increasingly irritates his girlfriend MONIEK. Moniek is a successful writer of a popular Dutch soap opera and she is continuously accusing Alfred of having no commercial instinct. The soap episodes created by Moniek are totally based on her own life. When Alfred sees one of the episodes, he correctly infers that she is having an affair with the executive producer. He decides to leave Moniek and sets out to show the world that he doesn t have a problem with making money. He starts a company called Rent a Friend and rents himself out as a friend to those in need of one. The concept is so successful that he soon is running a veritable "friends empire". Things really take off when Alfred hires the highly inventive manager Françoise. Moniek, by this time, is lonely and unhappy - perhaps it s time she calls Rent a Friend?