On Wednesday, Netflix released its docudrama on the famous Egyptian queen, Queen Cleopatra.
However, many, including Egyptians, weren’t happy that a Black woman portrayed Queen Cleopatra, claiming the real queen was “fair-skinned.”
Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities released a lengthy statement on Facebook, accusing Netflix of portraying Queen Cleopatra incorrectly.
“The Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Archeology confirms that Queen Cleopatra was light-skinned and Hellenic features (Greek),” the statement began. “Queen Cleopatra’s works and statues are the best evidence of her true features and Macedonian origins.”
Actress Jada Pinkett Smith produced the three-part docudrama that starred British and biracial actor Adele James as Cleopatra.
The Ministry of Tourism stated that James didn’t accurately depict Queen Cleopatra’s appearance because she had dark skin and African features.
It claimed that a man named Dr. Mustafa Waziri, Secretary General of the Supreme Council of Archeology, confirmed: “that the appearance of the heroine in this body is a falsification of Egyptian history and a blatant historical misconception, especially that the film is classified as a documentary and not a drama, the order that the owners of its industry have to investigate accuracy ad refer to historical and scientific facts in order to ensure that the history and civilizations of peoples is not falsified.”
A month ago, Netflix released Queen Cleopatra‘s trailer. Egyptian lawyer Mahmoud al-Semary sued the streaming giant not long after for depicting one of the most prominent queens in history as a Black woman, according to Egypt Independent.
They said the documentary promoted Afrocentrism and distorted Egyptian identity.
Queen Cleopatra, narrated by Pinkett Smith, acted as the second installment of the African Queen series. Season 1 premiered on Feb. 15, 2023, and touched on Njinga, Queen of Ndongo and Matamba.
The founder of the show’s production company Nutopia, Jane Root, claimed that Netflix wanted the show’s construction to start a conversation, Deadline reported. In doing so, the producers decided not to focus on Cleopatra’s ethnicity since there were many theories but no facts.
“We decided to depict Cleopatra of mixed heritage to reflect these theories and the multicultural nature of ancient Egypt,” Root said. “Race in her times was a long way from what it is now. It’s not every day that academic discussion of ancient history makes the news.”
