"Would rather die than work on this": director quits following leak of M.I.A documentary

This weekend, a clip of a long-mooted documentary about pop agitator M.I.A hit the web. Cue meltdown. 

Steve Loveridge’s documentary, in the works for at least a year, reportedly features a constellation of stars, with Kanye West, Jimmy Iovine, Spike Jonze, Switch and Richard Russell all appearing as talking heads. A clip, posted by Loveridge himself, hit the web on the weekend, with M.I.A also directing Twitter followers towards the snippet.

Before long, however, the IFPI (International Federation of the Phonograephic Industry) called foul, pulling the video at the behest of M.I.A label Roc Nation. As well as posting an image of the infringement notice to his blog, Loveridge also published an email back-and-forth with one of Roc Nation’s people, which makes for pretty scintillating reading. The exchange, available to view below, sees Roc Nation reveal that they’re shutting down the leak because it “screws with everything we’v been working on setting up MATANGI”. Loveridge’s reply? “I really couldn’t give a flying fuck. Count me out. Would rather die than work on this.”

In a comment appended to the (now missing) video, Loveridge writes “This was a teaser from 2012 to show Interscope what the film would feel like. Reblog the shit out of this and maybe they’ll wake up…” M.I.A has also stressed her concern that the film is being blocked by the label, tweeting “im gonna need @kickstarter and my fans to help make this exist , ive been black listed through normal channels !!!!!!!”

Matangi is expected later this year. Last month, M.I.A. dropped the (really rather good) Switch/Surkin-produced single from the album, ‘Bring The Noize’. [via Pitchfork]

Update: DDotMen have posted the trailer; watch the five-minute clip below.

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