TVNZ may screen film on execution of Saudi princess

Press, 15 April 1980, Page 2

TVNZ may screen film on execution of Saudi princess

PA Wellington Television New Zealand may still screen the film on the execution of a Saudi Arabian princess, in spite of the diplomatic storm it has caused since its screening in Britain last week.

The New Zealand network has been named in foreign press reports as one of several which had expressed an interest in purchasing the film.

The British dramatisation reconstructs the case of the princess executed by firing 'squad in 1977 for adultery and the beheading of her lover, a commoner. The film has been condemned by the Government of Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, and Qatar. The acting controller of programming for TVNZ (Mr C. Bourne) confirmed yesterday that the company had expressed interest in the film. However this was in line with common policy for major television networks, he said.

When A.T.V. had begun production of the programme last year it had approached several overseas television companies, including T.V.N.Z., to announce the availability of the film. Mr Bourne said that that was done with all purchases, when the film arrived it would be auditioned, and a decision would be made then on the merits of screening the production.

The film, since its screening on April 9 has brought harsh attacks from the Gulf press including a call from one Saudi Arabian newspaper for an economic and propaganda “war” against Britain.

The Saudi Arabian paper, “Al-Jezira,” said the kingdom, the world’s biggest oil exporter, was able to wage

w.ar with several weapons to fight “the aggression directed at it by the British media in the name of freedom of the British people.”

Since then the Dutch Government has said it will attempt to stop the film being shown in the Netherlands. The Dutch Acting Prime Minister (Mr Hans Wiegel) said yesterday the Dutch Government had no power to stop the programme being shown, but he had telephoned the chairman of the Dutch central broadcasting organisation, to put forward the Saudi Arabian viewpoint. Mr Bourne said any objections to the film’s screening were “probably political,” and would be considered when the film arrived;. ; Saudi’s lean on Dutch, ' Page 9.