film as "grossly offensive to the Saudi Arabian Royal Family and government". The Cattlemen's Union of Australia also campaigned against the film being shown, with its executive director arguing that it was "stupid to risk future trade relations, job opportunities and export income for a brief period of sick entertainment". After the screening of the programme, Australian businesses reported delays in obtaining visas for Saudi Arabia as a result. As a result of playing the role of the Princess, Egyptian actress Suzanne Abou Taleb, according to People magazine, "was put on a blacklist by Egyptian TV, film and theatre producers, who are dependent on Saudi petrodollars". The measure had exactly the opposite of its intended effect, increasing her public prominence and she became one of the most popular actresses in Egypt, under the name Sawsan Badr. Paul Freeman's performance as Christopher Ryder was seen by Steven Spielberg, who noted his piercing eyes; this observation led to his casting as René Belloq in Raiders of the Lost Ark. In a retrospective interview for the Frontline rebroadcast, Thomas described his reasons for making the film: In Edward Said's book Covering Islam, he discusses the release of Death of Princess and the Saudi response. He argues that although the Saudis opposed the showing of the film and used their money to try and coerce PBS from televising it, they lacked the cultural capital that the West had over representation of Muslims in the media. Naturally, the Saudis opposed it for its implications of Saudi royal family corruption, but also because it only reinforced images of Sharia law that Westerners understand—punishment. The film has never been broadcast again in the UK, although there was a private screening at the British Academy of Film and Television Arts in 2009. It was re-broadcast in the US by Frontline in April 2005, for its 25th anniversary. This was under limited terms described in its original contract, meaning that because of copyright and issues with royalties, it is not available for Internet viewing through PBS. In popular culture Despite the controversy over the film, two pieces of music used in the film, "Pulstar" and "Alpha" by Vangelis, were used for a long time as background music for interludes on Saudi national TV. Not the Nine O'Clock News made a spoof apology to the Saudis on their television series which was the first track on their eponymous 1980 album.