Cleopatra came from the Ptolemaic dynasty, which had its roots in Persia. After the death of her father, 17-year-old Cleopatra ascended the Egyptian throne, having previously, according to the local tradition, married her brother. As the last queen of Egypt, she reigned for almost 20 years, in recent years in the name of her son, Caesarion, the fruit of an affair with Julius Caesar. Cleopatra was considered a well-educated ruler, she not only had extensive knowledge in many fields such as medicine, mathematics and astronomy, but also knew nine languages. It has long fascinated historians, literary authors and directors.
Was Cleopatra white? Netflix caused a storm with the documentary “Queen Cleopatra”.
Netflix decided to dedicate it to her. However, the first trailer of the production “Queen Cleopatra” caused a storm. The production was widely criticized by Egyptian celebrities, actors, and historians from all over the world. The outrage was caused primarily by the casting of a black actress, Adele James, to play the role of Cleopatra. The vast majority of historians believe that the queen had Macedonian-Greek roots, and therefore a Mediterranean type of beauty: dark hair and olive complexion. However, this was not the only complaint.
At the end of April, Mahmoud al-Semary, an Egyptian lawyer, decided to sue Netflix. The man accused the website of “erasing Egyptian identity.” Some time later, the Egyptian authorities spoke up. The Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities accused the manufacturer of “blatant falsehood”. The authorities began to demand the cancellation of the series’ premiere. Mahmoud al-Semary went a step further in his lawsuit, suggesting Netflix be removed from Egypt. The actress, in turn, added fuel to the fire, as she responded to the allegations by suggesting that the criticism of the film was based on racism against black people.
Egyptians sued Netflix. They are demanding two billion dollars
This was not the end of Netflix’s problems. This time, in May, the amount was USD 2 billion. The lawsuit, filed by a group of lawyers and archaeologists, demanded compensation for “distorting the image of Queen Cleopatra and the ancient civilization of Egypt.” The authors also turned to UNESCO. The Supreme Council of Antiquities, responsible for Egypt’s cultural heritage, issued a statement in which it stated that Cleopatra was white, had fair skin and Hellenic roots, and that the appearance of the main character of the production and the Afrocentrism of the entire document were “a gross historical error.” How did the situation end? The documentary was released on Netflix, and a billion-dollar lawsuit was filed in court. However, the last information about progress in the case is from June 2023.
Source: Gazeta
Bruce is a talented author and journalist with a passion for entertainment . He currently works as a writer at the 247 News Agency, where he has established himself as a respected voice in the industry.
