Tickled looks like its going to be a documentary that needs to be seen, not least because it’s tells such an unlikely and fascinating story. Indeed, it’s so bizarre that when watching the trailer, you might start wondering whether they made the whole thing up – except that they didn’t.

It’s a truly unexpected tale which started when New Zealand journalist David Farrier, who was known for his light-hearted reports about unusual subjects, stumbled across a company that released tickling videos on the internet and held well-paid “competitive endurance tickling” contests. He thought he’d reach out to request an interview but was shocked that the responses became homophobic and personal against the gay Farrier – peculiar for a company where the videos are undeniably homoerotic, featuring groups of young men tickling one another. That was followed by threats of legal action and letters from lawyers.

Undeterred, Farrier decided to team up with filmmaker Dylan Reeve, suspecting there was a bigger story here. Together they begin to uncover a vast empire, known for harassing and harming the lives of those who protest their involvement in these films. The more they investigate, the stranger it gets, discovering secret identities and criminal activity.

Discovering the truth becomes Farrier’s obsession, despite increasingly sinister threats, and the fact they know that whoever is behind this has viciously and publicly tried to destroy those that have done even the smallest thing against them. What starts as an attempt to look at something peculiar turns into a tale of extreme cyberbullying and exploitation, and a company that seems to think they should be able to do absolutely anything with impunity. Indeed, they haven’t stopped, as the filmmakers were slapped with a major lawsuit in March, with those involved in the tickling empite still hoping they can get their way.

Watch the trailer below, it’s well worth a look. [Read more…]