Complaints in Egypt about the Netflix series that presents a black Cleopatra

A Netflix series depicting Queen Cleopatra VII as a black African has sparked controversy in Egypt.

A lawyer filed a complaint accusing the docudrama Queen Cleopatra (“Queen Cleopatra”) of violating media laws and seeking to “distort and erase Egyptian identity”.

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Furthermore, a leading archaeologist insisted that Cleopatra was “fair-skinned, not black.”

But the series’ producer said “her heritage is hotly debated” and the actress who plays her, Adele James, hit back at critics: “If you don’t like the cast, don’t watch the show”.

James made the comment in a Twitter post with screenshots of abusive comments that included racist slurs.

egyptian queen

Cleopatra was born in the Egyptian city of Alexandria. in 69 BC and became the last queen of a Greek-speaking dynasty founded by the Macedonian general Ptolemy, sent by Alexander the Great.

He succeeded his father Ptolemy XII in 51 BC and ruled until his death in 30 BC Later, Egypt fell under Roman rule.

The identity of Cleopatra’s mother is unknown, and historians say it is possible that she, or any other female ancestor, was a native Egyptian or from other parts of Africa.

Netflix’s Tudum website reported in February that the casting of James, a mixed-race British actress, as Cleopatra in its new series was “a nod to the centuries-old conversation about the ruler’s race.”

Adele James was part of the series "Casualty" of the BBC in 2021.

Meanwhile, Jada Pinkett-Smiththe American actress who was an executive producer and narrator, was quoted as saying:

“We don’t often see or hear stories about black queens, and that was very important to me, as well as my daughter, and for my community to be able to hear about those stories because there are millions!”

reaction in egypt

When the trailer was released last week, many Egyptians condemned the portrayal of Cleopatra.

Zahi Hawass, a leading Egyptologist and former Minister of Antiquities, told the newspaper Al-Masry Al-Youm that “this is completely false”. “Cleopatra was Greek, which means she was light-skinned, not black,” she stated.

Hawass noted that the only rulers of Egypt known to have been black were the Kushite kings of the 25th Dynasty (747-656 BC).

“Netflix is ​​trying to cause confusion by spreading false and misleading facts that the origin of Egyptian civilization is black,” he added, calling on Egyptians to oppose the internet giant. streaming.

Lawyer Mahmoud al Semary filed a complaint with a prosecutor on Sunday in which he demanded that he take “the necessary legal measures” and block access to Netflix services in Egypt.

It alleged that the series includes visual material and content that violates Egypt’s media laws and accused Netflix of attempting to “promote Afrocentric thought (…) which includes slogans and writing intended to distort and erase Egyptian identity.”

Three years ago, plans for a Cleopatra movie starring Israeli actress Gal Gadot sparked a heated debate on social media, with some insisting the role should go to an Arab or African actress.

Gadot later defended the casting decision. “We were looking for a Macedonian actress who could fit Cleopatra. She didn’t show up and I was very excited about Cleopatra ”.

Source: Elcomercio