LONA unyaka wekhulu kwaboniswa okokuqala i-“Photo-Drama of Creation,” ifilimu eyavelela eyayiklanyelwe ukwakha ukholo eBhayibhelini njengeZwi likaNkulunkulu. Enkathini lapho ukukholelwa ekuziphendukeleni kwemvelo, ukucusumbulwa nokugxekwa kweBhayibheli kwakuqede khona ukholo lwabaningi, i-“Photo-Drama” yafakazela ukuthi uJehova unguMdali.

UCharles T. Russell, owayehola abaFundi BeBhayibheli, wayelokhu efuna izindlela eziphumelela nezishesha kakhulu ezingasetshenziswa ekusakazeni iqiniso leBhayibheli. Kwase kuphele iminyaka engaphezu kwengu-30 abaFundi BeBhayibheli besebenzisa izincwadi. Manje kwase kunendlela entsha eyabakhanga—izithombe ezinyakazayo.

Ngawo-1890 kwaqala ukubukiswa kwezithombe ezinyakazayo kodwa ezingenamsindo. Ngo-1903 kwaboniswa ifilimu yenkolo esontweni elithile eliseNew York City. Imboni eyenza izithombe ezinyakazayo yayisafufusa ngo-1912 lapho uRus­sell eba nesibindi sokulungiselela ukwenza i-“Photo-Drama.” Waqaphela ukuthi le ndlela yayingadlulisela iqiniso leBhayibheli ngendlela izincwadi zodwa ezazingeke zikwazi ukulidlulisela ngayo.

Le filimu ye-“Photo-Drama” eyayithatha amahora angu-8, ngokuvamile eyayihlukaniswa ibe izingxenye ezine, yayinezindaba zeBhayibheli ezimfushane ezingu-96 ezilandiswa isikhulumi esasaziwa kakhulu esasinezwi elihle kakhulu ekuqopheni ngaleyo nkathi. Izigcawu eziningi zazihambisana nomculo wezinsimbi. Kwakuba nabazalwane abanekhono ababesebenzisa amagilamafoni ukuze badlale amazwi nomculo oqoshiwe, bevumelanisa umsindo nezithombe ezinemibala emihle kanye namadrama ezindaba zeBhayibheli ezithandwayo.

Okuningi kwalokho okukule filimu nama-slide amaningi engilazi kwatholakala ezindaweni ezenza amafilimu. Abadwebi abanekhono ePhil­a­del­phia, eNew York, ePar­is naseLon­don bazidweba zonke izithombe kuma-slide engilazi nakumafilimu. Amaqembu ezisebenzi eMnyangweni Wezithombe WaseBeth­el nawo  adweba ingxenye enkulu yezithombe, ngokuvamile edweba izithombe ezintsha lapho kuba nama-slide aphukayo. Ngaphezu kwamafilimu ayethengiwe, kwaqoshwa amalungu omkhaya waseBeth­el eYon­kers, eNew York, eseduze naseBeth­el, elingisa indima ka-Abrahama, u-Isaka neyengelosi eyavimba u-Abrahama ukuba angayibulali indodana yakhe.—Gen. 22:9-12.

Umzalwane owayekanye noMfoweth’ uRus­sell watshela abezindaba ukuthi le ndlela yayiyokwenza “izinkulungwane zabantu zikhangwe iBhayibheli, ukudlula noma yini [eyake] yenziwa entuthukweni engokwenkolo esikhathini esidlule.” Ingabe abefundisi babezowuncoma lo mzamo omusha wokufinyelela uquqaba lwabantu abalambile ngokomoya? Ngokuphambene, bonke abefundisi beLobukholwa bayigxeka i-“Photo-Drama,” abanye baze basebenzisa amasu acashile noma asobala ukuze bavimbele abantu bangayiboni. Kwenye indawo, inhlangano yabefundisi yahlela ukuba kucishwe ugesi.

Noma kunjalo, izixuku zagcwala amahholo zizobuka i-“Photo-Drama” mahhala. E-Unit­ed States, yayibukwa emadolobheni angafinyelela kwangu-80 usuku ngalunye. Izibukeli eziningi ezazimangele zaziqala ukubona ‘ifilimu enabantu abakhulumayo.’ Ngosizo lwezithombe eziningi ezilandelana ngokushesha, izilaleli zakwazi ukubona inqubo yokuphuma kwechwane egobolondweni neyokuqhakaza kwembali. Izigcawu ezaziphathelene nesayensi zaqokomisa ukuhlakanipha kukaJehova okumangalisayo. Njengoba kushiwo ekuqaleni, lapho ebona uMfoweth’ uRus­sell kuleyo filimu ethula i-“Photo-Drama,” omunye kwababebukele waze wathi “uMfoweth’ uRussell uphume njengoba enjalo!”

Umlobi nesazimlando samafilimu uTim Dirks wachaza i-“Photo-Drama” ngokuthi “ifilimu yokuqala enkulu eyayihlanganisa umsindo (amazwi aqoshiwe), izithombe ezinyakazayo nama-slide anemibala egqamile.” Amafilimu angaphambi kwe-“Photo-Drama” ayesebenzise obunye balobu buchwepheshe kodwa hhayi bonke kuyifilimu eyodwa, ikakhulu ekhuluma ngeBhayibheli. Awekho futhi ayebukwe izigidi eziningi njengayo—ezingaba ngu-9 eNyakatho Melika, eYurophu, e-Aus­tra­lia naseNew Zea­land phakathi nonyaka wokuqala kuphela!

I-“Photo-Drama” yaqala ukubukiswa ngo-January 11, 1914, eNew York City. Ngemva kwezinyanga ezingu-7 kwagadla inhlekelele eyabizwa ngokuthi iMpi Yezwe I. Kodwa izixuku emhlabeni wonke zaqhubeka zibuthana ukuze zibuke i-“Photo-Drama,” zithola induduzo ezigcawini zayo ezinhle zezibusiso zesikhathi esizayo ezizolethwa uMbuso. Singasho ukuthi i-“Photo-Drama” yaba ifilimu ephawuleka ngempela ngo-1914.