Journalist David Farrier's film had a dramatic screening at a US film festival last night, with audience members escorted out of the cinema by police.
Tickled, an investigation into 'competitive endurance tickling' that leads Farrier into a murky world of internet harassment and bullying, is currently playing at the True/False Film Festival in Columbia, Missouri.
During the documentary's first screening at the festival, two audience members became disruptive.
"Venue staff noticed two men acting suspiciously, with what appeared to be a hidden recording device," Farrier explains on Facebook, along with a photo of the incident.
"They didn't want to leave when asked, so we had to stop the film, and two police officers escorted them out to talk to them. It seems they were two private investigators from New York."
Festival director David Wilson told The Missourian venue staff weren't taking any chances.
"We thought that they were possibly recording the film, and because of that suspicion and because of problems filmmakers have had in the past, we alerted the Columbia police," says Wilson.
"It's possible they work for one of the people in the film who appears to have a very litigious background. This film makes a very strong case that this person has treated other people in very terrible ways."
Meanwhile, Farrier and others involved with the film's production and distribution are facing legal action from one of its subjects.
A New York resident is suing the filmmakers for defamation and "negligent infliction of emotional distress".
"Each of the defendants knew or using ordinary care could have known that the statements were substantially false," the lawsuit, written by St Louis-based attorney John Allan, claims.
Tickled screens at True/False again today and will play in New Zealand cinemas later this year.
Newshub.
