AU-lidou, umculi waseBeninese, uyazibuza ngomkhosi kaGèlèdè futhi ikakhulukazi ngalokho unina akubiza ngokuthi "imfihlo yabesifazane". Uya eSagon, idolobhana le-voodoo e-Benin, enhliziyweni yalo mphakathi ophethwe ngowesifazane okuthiwa u-Iyalashè. Ehlanganyela ukuphila kwansuku zonke kwezakhamuzi, uhamba esuka emhlanganweni aye kwesinye ezama ukuqonda kangcono incazelo yalezi zinkolelo ezihilela inkolo yomama abathakathi, ama-Iya. Ukufuna kwakhe ubuyena kuzoba yindlela yokukala umthelela wesimanje emikhubeni yendabuko. Izinselelo zefilimu idokhumentari yokudala, kodwa futhi ifilimu eyigugu egqamisa okuhlukile kwamasiko ase-Beninese. I-Gèlèdè yahlukaniswa njengefa elingaphatheki yi-Unesco ngo-2001 futhi imaski yayo izohlala ingumbukiso wezwe lonke. Kodwa-ke, ifilimu igcizelela ukuthi kunobungozi bokwenza i-folklorization ye-rite ngenxa "yesimanje". Lolu daba seludale ukukhula kofuduko lwasemakhaya kanye nokwehliswa kwemikhuba yendabuko. Akuwona umbuzo lapha wokudicilela phansi lesi simanjemanje okuyinto ngokungenakuphikwa ukuthi ezicini ezithile inqubekelaphambili kubantu basemakhaya, kodwa ngempela ngale filimu ukulungisa isikhathi esisebenza njengesikhumbuzo sezizukulwane ezizayo. Bengifuna ukubeka umbono ka-Alidou enkabeni yefilimu yami; ngohambo lwakhe, uhlangana nabalingiswa abavuma ukukhuluma naye ngoGèlèdè futhi babelane ngolwazi lwabo oluncane. Ngokufuna ukwaziwa, ifilimu ithatha uhlobo lwemilando yedolobhana emaphakathi-mpumalanga ye-Benin edalula impilo yansuku zonke yezakhamuzi zakhona ngengokomoya eliziqondisayo. Ngakho-ke uveza isici senkolo sikaGèlèdè ngamehlo omuntu waseBeninese ozimisele ukuthola isiko lakhe, kodwa futhi nefa lakhe likamama. Ukuhlola isiko le-voodoo kuhlanganisa izinto ezingashiwongo nezingabonwa. Ngakho-ke ngazama ukuhlonipha intando yeziphathimandla zenkolo ngokungakushayi indiva izincomo zazo. Noma kunjalo, ngangifuna lezi zimfihlo zihlale zifundeka ababukeli. Inhloso yami ukwethula leli hlelo le-voodoo hhayi ngokubona ukwesaba elikukhuthazayo kodwa ngalokho elikuhlanganisayo.
Le filimu iwumsebenzi wokubambisana wangempela njengoba sisebenze cishe iminyaka eyishumi nemiphakathi ye-voodoo Gèlèdè rite ukuze sifezekise iphrojekthi yethu. Ngaphezu kwalokho, ukubhalwa kwefilimu kwenziwa ngokubambisana eduze nabaqalayo behlelo ukuze basondele ngangokunokwenzeka eqinisweni labo. Ukusebenzisana futhi njengoba ithimba lethu liyi-Franco-Beninese futhi umgomo wami wokufundisa ugqugquzelwa i-anthropology eyabelwe uJean Rouch. Phakathi neminyaka edlule, ochwepheshe be-cinema baseFrance (uBenoit Rizzotti, uDamien Mandouze) beze bezoqeqesha ochwepheshe baseBeninese ukuze babalungiselele ukuqopha futhi bakhe ithimba elizimele lokuqopha ngokuzayo. Manje njengoba ifilimu isilungele ukusakazwa, sahamba sayobonisa ifilimu lapho sasishuthele khona, edolobhaneni laseSagon, kodwa nasemadolobheni amakhulu aseBenin. Ngemva kokuhlolwa ngakunye, amalungu eqembu laseBeninese ahola inkulumo-mpikiswano ngendikimba ethi “Amasiko Nesimanjemanje”. Kwakuwumbuzo wokuqala ingxoxo ngezingozi zokulinganiswa kwamasiko kanye nentshisekelo yokuvikela okuhlukile kwamasiko aseBeninese.