The Netflix series about Cleopatra caused a scandal because of the skin color of the main character: in Egypt they ask to ban access to the service

A Netflix docudrama about Cleopatra starring a black actress has sparked outrage in Egypt and accusations against the filmmakers of trying to rewrite the country's history. Writes about it with the BBC.

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The project participants insist on the correctness of the choice of the actress for the main role and argue that there is no historical consensus on the origin of Cleopatra.

When the trailer for the "Queen Cleopatra" series, which claims to be historically accurate, was released in Egypt last week, many in the country criticized it. And lawyer Mahmoud Al-Semari even sent an official statement to the prosecutor's office demanding to block access to Netflix in Egypt.

Al-Semari accused the company of violating laws and promoting Afrocentric ideas, "including slogans and inscriptions aimed at distorting and destroying the Egyptian identity."

The well-known archaeologist, former head of the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass, also spoke out against the series. He called the suggestion that Cleopatra could be dark-skinned a complete lie.

“Cleopatra was of Greek origin, meaning her skin was light, not dark,” Hawass said, adding that the only dark-skinned rulers of Egypt were the Kushite kings of the 25th Dynasty 747-656 BC.

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“Netflix is ​​trying to sow confusion and confusion by spreading false information that dark-skinned people stood at the origins of Egyptian civilization,” the archaeologist said and called on the country’s public to protest the international streaming platform.

The four-part Cleopatra semi-documentary will hit Netflix on May 10. The famous queen who ruled Egypt from 51 to 30 years. BC, played by British mulatto actress Adele James.

The trailer, released on April 12, mentions that Cleopatra belonged to the Greek Ptolemaic dynasty. But then one of the invited expert commentators remarked: “I remember my grandmother told me: I don’t care what they tell you at school. Cleopatra was black."

Earlier, the film's producer Jada Pinkett Smith, speaking about the project, stated that she wanted to tell the story of Cleopatra, because "it's not often that we see or hear stories about black queens."

Following the trailer's release and the backlash, actress Adele James tweeted, "If you don't like the casting, don't watch the series." She supplemented her message with a screenshot of the screen with offensive comments addressed to her.

The last queen of the Ptolemaic dynasty

Cleopatra was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria in 69 BC. She became the last queen of the Greek-speaking dynasty, founded by the commander Alexander the Great Ptolemy I.

She succeeded her father Ptolemy XII on the throne in 51 BC. e. and ruled until his death in 30 BC. e. In the last years of her reign, Egypt fell under the rule of Rome, and Cleopatra herself committed suicide so as not to be captured.

Who Cleopatra's mother was is unknown: according to one theory, she was the illegitimate daughter of Ptolemy from one of his slaves, who in turn could theoretically be both an Egyptian and a dark-skinned native of another part of Africa.

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In February, Netflix-affiliated Tudum reported that the filmmakers had cast the mulatto queen, Adele James, to showcase a centuries-old debate about what race Cleopatra belonged to.

In 2020, public outrage was caused by reports of another film about Cleopatra - with the participation of Israeli actress Gal Gadot, known for her role as Wonder Woman in the DC Comics films of the same name. At the time, a debate broke out on social media about whether Gadot was suitable for the role of the Egyptian queen, given that her skin color, according to some, was too light.

Gadot subsequently commented on the situation: “We were trying to find a Macedonian actress who would fit the role. But she was not, and I am very enthusiastic about Cleopatra.

“You know, anyone can make a film about Cleopatra - please do it. I’m very interested in this, so I’ll take mine off too,” the actress concluded.

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