SACRED CITY.

Star (Christchurch), Volume LXVI, Issue 20632, 5 June 1935, Page 5

SACRED CITY.

First Movie of Mecca Completed. WOMAN RISKS LIFE. For the first time in history, Mecca, the sacred city, not only of Arabia, but of Moslems everywhere, has been filmed. The film was marie in secret by Madame Valentine Dahaby, wife of a Moslem. Moslem law forbids that any photographs should be taken. The fanatical Wahabis, who now rule Arabia, and of whom King Ibn Saud is the head, observe the letter of the Koran, which declares it sinful to make the likeness of any living thing. Madame Dahaby risked her life in filming Mecca, for the penalty for contravening this sacred law is death.

Three people who tried in recent years to film Mecca are said to have been executed. But Madame Dahaby. with her small film camera concealed in the flowing folds of her Arab garments, succeeded in obtaining about 15.000 feet of film.

She had the good fortune to be within a few feet of King Saud when the attempt was made on his life by three Arabs from Yemen only a few weeks ago. She got pictures of the sudden rush of the assassins, who hurled themselves on the King, and

of the gallant action of his son. the Emir Saud. who threw himself in front of his father, intercepting the knife thrust of the first assailant. Her camera also recorded the shooting down of the men by the Royal Bodyguard. The camera lens, during those fatal moments, was concealed in a large brooch in Madame Dahaby’s bodice.

Tempting offers have already been made to Madame Dahaby for the film. \vhich she succeeded in smuggling out

of Arabia. But she is said to have scruples abou.t its exhibition. The thought of people smoking in a theatre while the pictures of the Kaaba and the holy places of Mecca, with the King at prayer, are shown on the

screen, is distasteful to her. So that if »his unique film eventually comes to the theatres of the Western world, special conditions for its exhibition may be imposed.