Netflix’s latest documentary series has drawn the wrath of historians and Egyptians by featuring a black Cleopatra.
On Netflix, Jada Pinkett Smith looks at the lives of the most illustrious and emblematic queens of Africa, in a series of documentaries that she has recently offered on the platform. After the one on the warrior queen Njinga of Angola, the producer this time tells us the story of Cleopatra, “one of the most famous, powerful and misunderstood women in the world“. This series wishes “reexamines the fascinating life and political genius of this queen and looks at her ethnic origins, a subject that still raises questions today“.
Iranian director Tina Gharavi was approached to film the 4 episodes that make up the documentary mini-series. And, by mutual agreement with Pinkett Smith, his choice fell on the black British actress Adele James to lend her features to Cleopatra. And this is where the shoe pinches for some.
Cleopatra’s origins – and by extension her skin color – have long been debated by historians. If there is no general consensus on the subject, a good part agrees to say that it comes from the dynasty of Macedonian origin of the Lagids, founded by Ptolemy I. Dynasty which then mixed with that of the Egyptians. Only the identity of his mother remains a total mystery. In 2009, Australian researchers came to the conclusion that this last was African…
netflix Adele James as Cleopatra
In an open letter posted by varietythe director justified her approach: “I quickly understood that it was going to be a political choice to choose a black actress to play Cleopatra. [ …] What if she was? We don’t know for sure, but we can be sure she wasn’t white as Elizabeth Taylor. We must start the debate on colorism and the white supremacy conveyed by Hollywood, and which we have internalized“.
Egypt steps up
At the end of April, when Netflix unveiled the first trailer for Queen Cleopatra and the controversy was raging, the Egyptian Ministry of Antiquities stepped up to the plate by publishing a long communicated, based on expert opinion. These are formal:She had white skin and Hellenistic features. The bas-reliefs and statues of Queen Cleopatra are the best proof of this“.
It is precisely in Egypt that the anger rumbles the most, coming as much from politicians as from the inhabitants. Lawyer Mahmoud al-Semary notably filed a complaint against Netflix, which was dismissed. This did not prevent the series from being put online on May 10, which should not fail to set fire to the powder… a second time.