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Egypt‘s Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities has responded to controversy surrounding the casting choice for Netflix‘s Queen Cleopatra documentary.
The government agency has declared that Cleopatra was “white-skinned” based on “Bas-reliefs and statues” of the historical figure.
Biracial actress Adele James (Casualty) portrays Cleopatra in the documentary narrated and executive produced by Jada Pinkett Smith.
Her casting has sparked a debate in Egypt, with various figures accusing the docudrama of “blackwashing” the country’s history.
One attorney has even filed a suit against Netflix, claiming the project had contradicted and distorted Egyptian history in favor of promoting Afrocentrism.
On Thursday (April 27), a representative for the antiquities ministry in Egypt told The Independent that Cleopatra had “white skin and Hellenistic characteristics.”
“Bas-reliefs and statues of Queen Cleopatra are the best proof,” read the ministry’s statement.
Queen Cleopatra was the last ruler of the Ptolemaic dynasty, born in 69 BC. She died in 30 BC in Alexandria. Her mother’s identity is unknown, and therefore so is her ethnicity. Historians believe, however, that she was of Macedonian Greek ancestry.
Following the release of Queen Cleopatra‘s trailer, which you can watch above, an online petition accusing the production of rewriting history has been signed by over 8,000 people.
“Afrocentrism is a pseudoscience that is pushing a group’s agenda to claim Egypt’s history and rob the actual Egyptians of it. By using false articles and zero evidence, they are still attempting to falsify history,” reads the petition.
“Cleopatra was born in Alexandria, Egypt in the Ptolemaic dynasty to Greek descent. She was NOT Black. This is in no way against Black people, and is simply a wake up call to preserve the history and the integrity of the Egyptians and the Greeks.”
The documentary’s director Tina Gharayi hit back at the casting criticism last week, arguing: “It’s more likely that Cleopatra looked like Adele than Elizabeth Taylor.”
