Shihad doco sparks war of words (+video)

A behind-the-scenes spat has broken out ahead of Shihad's upcoming documentary release. Photo / Richard Robinson

Check out a full review of Shihad: Beautiful Machine here.

Shihad's career has been a rollercoaster ride of highs and lows - and it seems that trend followed through into the making of a movie about the band.

A war of words has broken out between the director and producers behind Shihad: Beautiful Machine, the Wellington band's documentary set to premiere in the capitol tonight.

Filmmaker Sam Peacocke was brought in to helm Shihad: Beautiful Machine after its original director Graeme Tuckett left the project weeks into filming.

Peacocke said he had not been involved in the film's post-production, or seen a final cut of the film. He criticised a lack of communication from producers at Pacific Lightworks.

But one of the producers, Grant Roa, today told Fairfax Media that Peacocke was "sociably inept".

Roa also called Peacocke a "director for hire" and said the film was always designed to be producer-driven.

Peacocke said he wasn't worried about the criticism.

"There's a bit of a personality clash between me and Grant, because he says things like '(I'm) socially inept'.

"I don't really care."

He said the original work done by Tuckett on the documentary was "great".

Beautiful Machine is set to premiere at The Embassy in Wellington tonight.

It spans the band's 20-year career, giving insight into the relationships and experiences that inspired much-loved albums such as Churn, Killjoy and The General Electric.

- Herald online