LONA sengumnyaka welikhulu yabukeliswa kwekucala ngca i-“Photo-Drama of Creation,” lifilimu lebelentiwe ngenjongo yekwakha kukholwa eBhayibhelini njengobe liliVi laNkulunkulu. Ngesikhatsi lapho kukholelwa ekutigucukeleni kwemvelo, kutsandza kugceka, kanye nekungabata kucedze kukholwa kwalabanyenti, i-“Photo-Drama” yaphakamisa Jehova ngekutsi unguMdali.

Charles T. Russell, lobekangumholi weBafundzi BeliBhayibheli, wachubeka afuna indlela lephumelela kakhulu nalesheshako yekusakata emaciniso laseBhayibhelini. Besekuphele iminyaka lengu-30 bafundzi beliBhayibheli basebentisa tincwadzi letishicilelwe. Nyalo kwase kunendlela lensha leyabakhanga—titfombe letinyakatako.

Ngabo-1890, bantfu bacala kubukeliswa titfombe letinyakatako kodvwa letite umsindvo. Ngekushesha nje nga-1903, kwabukeliswa lifilimu lenkholo esontfweni laseNew York City. Inkampani leyakha titfombe letinyakatako beyisacala nga-1912 ngesikhatsi Russell ngesibindzi acalisa kulungiselela i-“Photo-Drama.” Wabona kutsi lendlela yekufundzisa beyingandlulisela emaciniso eliBhayibheli ngendlela tincwadzi letishicilelwe lebetingeke tiwendlulisele ngayo.

Lelifilimu le-“Photo-Drama” lebelitsatsa ema-awa lasiphohlongo, ngalokuvamile belidlalwa ngetincenye letine, futsi belihlanganisa tinkhulumo letimfishane letingu-96 letisekelwe eBhayibhelini lebetilandziswa sikhulumi lesatiwa kakhulu lebesinelivi lelihle ekutsebuleni ngaleso sikhatsi. Tinkhundla letinyenti betihambisana nemculo wetinsimbi. Bekuba khona bazalwane labanelikhono labebasebentisa emagilamafoni kute badlale emavi nemculo lotsetjuliwe, bavumelanise lomsindvo netitfombe letinemibala lemihle kanye nema-drama etindzaba letidvumile letiseBhayibhelini.

Lokunyenti kwaloko lokukulelifilimu kanye netitfombe letinyenti lebetentiwe ngengilazi, kwakutfolakala etindzaweni letenta emafilimu. Badvwebi labanelikhono ePhiladelphia, eNew York, eParis, naseLondon batidvweba ngesandla letitfombe lebetentiwe ngengilazi kanye  nalamafilimu, ngakunye ngakunye. Emacembu etisebenti endzaweni lebeyibitwa ngekutsi yi-Bethel Art Room, lebekwentiwa kuyo imidvwebo yesandla advweba incenye lenkhulu yaletitfombe, futsi ngalokuvamile abelungisa netitfombe lesetiphukile. Ngetulu kwemafilimu latsengiwe, emalunga emndeni waseBethel atsetjulwa dvutane neYonkers, eNew York, adlala incenye ya-Abrahama, ya-Isaka kanye neyengilosi leyavimba Abrahama kutsi anikele ngendvodzana yakhe kute ibe ngumhlatjelo.—Gen. 22:9-12.

Lomunye lobekaneMzalwane Russell watjela betindzaba kutsi lendlela yekufundzisa “beyitawenta tinkhulungwane tebantfu tikhangwe nguloko lokusemiBhalweni, kwendlula nobe ngabe yini [leyake] yenteka entfutfukweni yenkholo esikhatsini lesendlulile.” Bafundisi bebatayitsandza yini lendlela lensha yekufinyelela bantfu labanyenti labalambele liciniso? Cha, bafundisi beTinkholo Letitsi TebuKhristu bayinyembenya i-“Photo-Drama,” labanye badzimate basebentisa tindlela letibhacile nobe emasu kute bavimbele kutsi bantfu bayibone. Kulenye indzawo, inhlangano yebafundisi yahlela kutsi kucishwe gesi.

Nobe kunjalo, ticumbi tebantfu tagcwala emahholweni kute titewubukela i-“Photo-Drama” mahhala. EMelika, i-“Photo-Drama” yayibukelwa emadolobheni langaba ngu-80 lilanga ngalinye. Bantfu labanyenti labayibukela babamba wangephansi nabacala ngca kubona ‘lifilimu lelinemavi.’ Titfombe lebetilandzelaniswa ngekushesha tabenta bakhona kubona indlela lintjwele lelichoboselwa ngayo, babona nembali ichakata. Titfombe tangaleso sikhatsi letiphatselene nesayensi, tagcamisa kuhlakanipha lokumangalisako kwaJehova. Njengobe kuvetiwe ekucaleni, nakabona uMzalwane Russell kulelifilimu etfula i-“Photo-Drama,” lomunye lobekabukele watsi: “Uyati uMzalwane Russell uphume njengobe anjalo!”

Tim Dirks, longumbhali nesatimlandvo semafilimu wachaza i-“Photo-Drama” ngekutsi “lifilimu lekucala lelihamba embili lebelihlanganisa kuvumelana kwemsindvo (inkhulumo letsetjuliwe), titfombe letinyakatako, netitfombe letinemibala lemihle.” Emafilimini lakhishwa ngaphambi kwe-“Photo-Drama” bekusetjentiswe lobunye balobuchwephesha kodvwa hhayi bonkhe efilimini linye, ikakhulukati nalikhuluma ngeliBhayibheli. Kute lelinye lelake labukelwa bantfu labanyenti kangaka—lokubantfu labangaba tigidzi letiyimfica eNyakatfo yeMelika, eYurophu, e-Australia, naseNew Zealand ngemnyaka wekucala nje kuphela.

I-“Photo-Drama” yacala kubukeliswa nga-January 11, 1914, eNew York City. Ngemuva kwetinyanga letisikhombisa kwagadla inhlekelele leyabitwa ngekutsi Yimphi Yelive Yekucala. Kodvwa ticumbi tebantfu emhlabeni wonkhe tachubeka tihlangana kute tibukele i-“Photo-Drama,” tatfola indvudvuto kuletitfombe letinhle tetibusiso tangesikhatsi lesitako letitawuletfwa nguMbuso. I-“Photo-Drama” yaba lifilimu lelinakwa kakhulu bantfu ngemnyaka wanga-1914 ngisho nobe ungalicatsanisa naleminye iminyaka.