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George Krugers in a still from the film

The Great Mecca Feast is a 1928 documentary film by George Krugers (pictured). It follows a group of Muslim men from the Dutch East Indies on the hajj pilgrimage, showcasing elements of everyday life and worship in the Hejaz region of the Arabian Peninsula – including the hajj itself. As Mecca was closed to non-Muslims, Krugers passed as a Muslim and recorded film and still-photographic documentation of the pilgrimage. Although it was well-received upon its Dutch premiere on 9 November 1928, subsequent showings were rare and the film faded into obscurity. Described as the first documentary about the hajj, the film is the only one of Krugers's works known to have survived. The Great Mecca Feast received scholarly interest in the 2010s. Since then, it has been analysed within the context of colonial networks and control over the hajj process, as well as a primary document providing insight into the experiences of contemporary pilgrims. (Full article...)