Since Cleopatra was portrayed in the Netflix documentary as a black woman, the Egyptian government has criticized the show for “falsifying Egyptian history.”
The release of the “African Queens: Queen Cleopatra” music video two weeks ago was met with widespread outcry. The Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities and Tourism has now issued a lengthy statement with evidence that Cleopatra had a “light complexion” and “Hellenistic characteristics.”
Dr. Mustafa Waziri, secretary-general of Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, called the casting of a black actor as Cleopatra in the new Netflix series “a falsification of Egyptian history and a blatant historical misconception.”
“The film is a documentary, not a drama,” Dr. Waziri emphasized to The Daily Mail. To ensure that the history and civilizations of peoples are not misrepresented, the owners of its industry must investigate its veracity and consult relevant historical and scientific facts.
The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities claimed in a statement accompanied by images of coins and artifacts that Cleopatra had “Hellenic (Greek) features,” including fair complexion, a sharp nose, and large lips.
Premiere of “Queen Cleopatra” is set for May 10th. Jada Pinkett-Smith will serve as executive director, while Adele James will play the major role. This casting decision, which was “a nod to the centuries-long discussion about the ruler’s race,” has stirred up considerable controversy among academics.
The director, Tina Gharavi, called casting James in the part “a political act.”
“As I did my research, I realized how political it would be for a black actress to play Cleopatra,” Gharavi said in an essay for Variety.
Why can’t Cleopatra be a brown-skinned beauty?” “Why do some people need Cleopatra to be white?” she questioned. As the saying goes, “being close to being white seems to give her value, and it seems to matter a lot to some Egyptians.”
Was Cleopatra black then?” Whether or not she was black like Elizabeth Taylor is unknown, but Gharavi was certain that she was not white. “We need to have a talk with ourselves about our colorism and how Hollywood has taught us to believe in white supremacy,” he said.
Legal action was taken against Netflix by an Egyptian attorney over the new show. The Daily Wire was the first to disclose that Egyptian attorney Mahmoud al-Semary had petitioned for “necessary legal measures” to be taken against Netflix services.
He said that the streaming giant was working to “promote Afrocentric thinking,” which he defined as “words and writings that try to change and eliminate the Egyptian identity.”