Death of a Princess (1980)
It is always the same story. "Denial, this is not the true teaching, it is one person's interpretation and so on.." The reality is this. They need a major public relation exercise and re-branding. The morale is at all time low.
This drama-documentary rocked the Arab-English-transAtlantic relationship when it was released. The English ambassador was sent back and millions were paid to stop its screening in US. Like a storm in a teacup, the tiff fizzled out within a few months and international trade between these countries resumed just as quickly as the tension started initially!
The director got the idea of making this documentary after a tête-à-tête at a party of a certain Arabic princess and her lover who were executed publicly. Hence started an almost wild goose chase trying to find the bottom of the story. Due to pressures from above, the name of the princess, the kingdom and the name of informers were omitted but it was the reference to Princess Misha'al bint Fahd al Saud, the granddaughter of the brother of the then King of Saudi Arabia.
The film starts with the call of Friday prayers. People leave the premises with satisfied look after completing their prayers. A car park is changed to a make shift courtyard. People gather to witness a lady in purdah and a man knelt on the ground. The girl is shot multiple times and the man is beheaded but the procedure had to be repeated apparently due to the unprofessional manner of the executor. People then return to their normal duties afterwards, feeling contented that God's laws have been executed on Earth. Amongst them is a Caucasian who took snapshots of the event with a camera concealed in a cigarette box.
The director, Antony Thomas, took it upon himself to do a bit of investigative journalism to unravel the mystery surrounding the slaying of the couple. Unfortunately, various interviews revealed conflicting and sometimes contradictory stories that did not collaborate. He found out that every avenue seem to meet a dead end. People were generally not forthcoming with the true turn of event. Even the university in war-torn Lebanon where the princess allegedly had studied also denied admission of such a student!
Finally Thomas, through his connections, came a break through, via a contact with someone from the palace (under cloak of anonymity) who revealed the real story. The princess was a 19 year old free spirited girl who fell in love with a musician whom she saw on TV. Using her position as a member of the royal family, she communicated with the musician, who happened to be the son of Saudi's ambassador to Lebanon. The problem was that the princess, at that time, was already married through family matchmaking to a cousin, a prince. The informant also inform of the palace women's unlady-like behaviour of engaging the services of gigolos that really upset the Saudi House.
To escape the scandal, the princess and her beau conspired to fake her own death by apparent drowning. Unfortunately, her trickery was discovered when a servant squealed. She was detained at the airport when she tried to leave the country disguised as a man.
The following turn of events is bizarre. The couple was never put on trial but ordered by the grandfather to be executed, not by syaria manner but as an honour killing to maintain to pride of the family.
It just leaves a bad after taste at the end of the film. The self appointed guardians of the fastest expanding religion whose believers believe it is just is let down. The world feels that the justice meted in the princess' case was tribal justice, not religious. In the process, they have given the believers a bad press.
It is always the same story. "Denial, this is not the true teaching, it is one person's interpretation and so on.." The reality is this. They need a major public relation exercise and re-branding. The morale is at all time low.
This drama-documentary rocked the Arab-English-transAtlantic relationship when it was released. The English ambassador was sent back and millions were paid to stop its screening in US. Like a storm in a teacup, the tiff fizzled out within a few months and international trade between these countries resumed just as quickly as the tension started initially!The director got the idea of making this documentary after a tête-à-tête at a party of a certain Arabic princess and her lover who were executed publicly. Hence started an almost wild goose chase trying to find the bottom of the story. Due to pressures from above, the name of the princess, the kingdom and the name of informers were omitted but it was the reference to Princess Misha'al bint Fahd al Saud, the granddaughter of the brother of the then King of Saudi Arabia.
The film starts with the call of Friday prayers. People leave the premises with satisfied look after completing their prayers. A car park is changed to a make shift courtyard. People gather to witness a lady in purdah and a man knelt on the ground. The girl is shot multiple times and the man is beheaded but the procedure had to be repeated apparently due to the unprofessional manner of the executor. People then return to their normal duties afterwards, feeling contented that God's laws have been executed on Earth. Amongst them is a Caucasian who took snapshots of the event with a camera concealed in a cigarette box.
The director, Antony Thomas, took it upon himself to do a bit of investigative journalism to unravel the mystery surrounding the slaying of the couple. Unfortunately, various interviews revealed conflicting and sometimes contradictory stories that did not collaborate. He found out that every avenue seem to meet a dead end. People were generally not forthcoming with the true turn of event. Even the university in war-torn Lebanon where the princess allegedly had studied also denied admission of such a student!
Finally Thomas, through his connections, came a break through, via a contact with someone from the palace (under cloak of anonymity) who revealed the real story. The princess was a 19 year old free spirited girl who fell in love with a musician whom she saw on TV. Using her position as a member of the royal family, she communicated with the musician, who happened to be the son of Saudi's ambassador to Lebanon. The problem was that the princess, at that time, was already married through family matchmaking to a cousin, a prince. The informant also inform of the palace women's unlady-like behaviour of engaging the services of gigolos that really upset the Saudi House.
To escape the scandal, the princess and her beau conspired to fake her own death by apparent drowning. Unfortunately, her trickery was discovered when a servant squealed. She was detained at the airport when she tried to leave the country disguised as a man.
The following turn of events is bizarre. The couple was never put on trial but ordered by the grandfather to be executed, not by syaria manner but as an honour killing to maintain to pride of the family.
It just leaves a bad after taste at the end of the film. The self appointed guardians of the fastest expanding religion whose believers believe it is just is let down. The world feels that the justice meted in the princess' case was tribal justice, not religious. In the process, they have given the believers a bad press.
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