KULO nyaka i-“Photo-Drama of Creation,” imbalasane yefilimu eyayenzelwe ukwakha ukholo lokuba iBhayibhile iliLizwi likaThixo, igqiba iminyaka elikhulu ukususela kumboniso wayo wokuqala. Ngexesha apho abaninzi babephelelwe lukholo ngenxa yemfundiso yokuba izinto zazivelela, ukugxekwa namathandabuzo, i-“Photo-Drama” yakhuthaza into yokuba uYehova unguMdali.

UCharles T. Russell, owayekhokela kumsebenzi waBafundi beBhayibhile, wayesoloko ekhangela ezona ndlela zisebenzayo nezikhawulezayo zokusasaza inyaniso yeBhayibhile. ABafundi beBhayibhile babesele begqibe iminyaka engaphezu kwe-30 besasaza le nyaniso ngeencwadi. Kwathi kusenjalo, kwavela indlela entsha eyabangela umdla yokusasaza le nyaniso: imifanekiso eshukumayo.

Ngeyee-1890 kwavela indlela entsha yemifanekiso eshukumayo eyayingenamazwi. Kwasekuqaleni kuka-1903, kwadlala ifilimu kwicawa yeSixeko SaseNew York. Ishishini leefilimu lalisandul’ ukubakho ngo-1912 xa uRussell waba nesibindi elungiselela ukuqalisa i-“Photo-Drama.” Waqonda ukuba le ndlela yokunxibelelana yayiza kudlulisela inyaniso yeBhayibhile ebantwini ngendlela eyayingenakufezwa ziincwadi kuphela.

Le filimu ithatha iiyure ezisibhozo zonke, yayisahlulwa ibe ziinxalenye ezine, nalapho isithethi esinelizwi elimnandi selo xesha sasisithi gqabagqaba ngeemfundiso zeBhayibhile ezirekhodiweyo eziyi-96. Njengoko kuvela imifanekiso kwakuvakala umculo weklasiki. Kwakubakho amachule adlala igramafoni enamazwi nomculo orekhodiweyo. Loo  mazwi ayehambisana nemifanekiso eshukumayo enemibala yamabali aziwayo aseBhayibhileni.

Inkoliso yemifanekiso nezilayidi zeglasi zazithengwa kwezinye iinkampani. Ezi zilayidi nemifanekiso zazipeyintwa ngesandla ngabazobi basePhiladelphia, eNew York, eParis, naseLondon. Kwakukho namaqela abazalwana baseBheteli ababepeyinta, belungisa izilayidi ezaphukileyo. Ukongezelela kwezo zilayidi zithengiweyo, intsapho yaseBheteli yayidla ngokufota eYonkers, eNew York, njengokuba yayidlala indima ka-Abraham, ekaIsake, neyengelosi eyanqanda uAbraham xa wayeza kubingelela ngonyana wakhe.—Gen. 22:9-12.

Omnye umzalwana owayesebenza noMzalwana uRussell waxelela amajelo eendaba ukuba le ndlela yokusasaza yayiza “kwenza amawaka abantu abe nomdla eZibhalweni, ngaphezu kwayo nayiphi na enye indlela yokushumayela eyakha yasetyenziswa.” Ngaba abafundisi beecawa babeza kuwuncoma lo mgudu wokufikelela izihlwele ezilambele inyaniso yeBhayibhile? Nakanye! Kunoko basuka bayigxeka le “Photo-Drama,” abanye bade benza amayelenqe okuthintela abantu ekuyibukeleni. Kwenye indawo, iqela labafundisi lanyanzelisa ukuba kucinywe umbane.

Sekunjalo, abantu babethontelana ukuza kule “Photo-Drama” yayibukelwa simahla. EUnited States, suku ngalunye yayibukelwa kwizixeko ezifikelela kwi-80. Abaninzi babebamb’ ongezantsi kuba beqala ukubona ‘imuvi ethethayo.’ Loo muvi yayibonisa nento eyenzekayo xa intshontsho liqanduselwa, lize liphume eqandeni. Loo nkcazelo yesayensi yayiboniswa apho yabalaselisa ubulumko anabo uYehova. Njengokuba kuye kwachazwa ekuqaleni, xa wayebona uMzalwan’ uRussell etshayelela i-“Photo-Drama,” omnye umntu wade wathi “uba ngathi ubona yena uqobo!”

Umbhali nombhali-mbali weefilimu uTim Dirks uchaza i-“Photo-Drama” ngokuthi “yifilimu yokuqala ethethayo, enemifanekiso eshukumayo nenemibala.” Iifilimu ezazingaphambi kwayo zazinazo ezinye zezi zinto, kodwa i-“Photo-Drama” yaba yeyokuqala ukuba nazo zonke ezi zinto, ngakumbi kwiifilimu ezithetha ngeBhayibhile. Akukho nanye kuzo eyabukelwa ngabantu abaninzi ngolo hlobo—malunga nezigidi ezisithoba kuMntla Merika, eYurophu, eOstreliya naseNew Zealand kunyaka nje wayo wokuqala!

I-“Photo-Drama” yaboniswa okokuqala ngoJanuwari 11, 1914, kwiSixeko saseNew York. Kwiinyanga ezisixhenxe iphumile kwaqhambuka iMfazwe Yehlabathi I. Sekunjalo, abantu babesathontelana ukuya kuyibukela, ibe yayibathuthuzela ngenxa yezithembiso zayo zeentsikelelo zoBukumkani. Xa ucinga ngeemeko ezazikho ngo-1914, ayikho into eyayinokuthelekiswa naloo “Photo-Drama.”