Posted by Amidst the heated debate surrounding Netflix’s series “African Queens” and its casting of a Black actress as Cleopatra, Egypt’s government-owned broadcaster has announced the development of a high-budget documentary that aims to present an authentic portrayal of Cleopatra’s life. The broadcaster asserts their documentary is meticulously researched and seeks to challenge what they perceive as Netflix’s distortion of Egyptian history.
The controversy revolves around the belief that Cleopatra, hailing from Alexandria, Egypt, belonged to a Greek-speaking lineage and had European ancestry rather than African roots.
Adele James, a British actress of mixed heritage, assumes the role of Cleopatra in the Netflix series. And in response to what they claim is Netflix’s falsification of Egypt’s history, the Al Wathaeqya channel, a subsidiary of Egypt’s state-affiliated United Media Services has announced the start of production on a high-end doc about the true story of Queen Cleopatra, which it claims in a statement is based on the “utmost levels” of research and accuracy.
Also expressing their concerns on Twitter, Egypt’s Supreme Council of Antiquities, emphasized that statues of Queen Cleopatra portrayed her with distinct Hellenistic (Greek) features, a fair complexion, an elongated nose, and thin lips.
In a recent TV interview, comedian Bassem Youssef accused Netflix of an audacious encroachment upon Egyptian culture. In his conversation with British journalist Piers Morgan, Youssef vehemently asserted his views. At the same time, an Egyptian lawyer took legal action by filing a formal complaint, advocating for measures to impede Netflix’s operations in Egypt and halt the show’s broadcast.
As of now, these actions have not been enforced. However, the show director, Tina Gharavi through an op-ed piece defended the casting in Variety online last month, stating, ‘Why do some people need Cleopatra to be white?’ She added, ‘Perhaps it’s not just that I’ve directed a series that portrays Cleopatra as Black, but that I have asked Egyptians to see themselves as Africans, and they are furious at me for that.’
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