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Netflix’s new Docuseries Drama “Queen Cleopatra”, produced and narrated by Jada Pinkett Smith started streaming on Netflix on May 10. The series focused on one of the most famous African queens, Egypt’s Queen Cleopatra. The show portrays her journey as she fights to protect her throne, family, and legacy featuring reenactments and expert interviews.
Controversies have surrounded ever since the release of this docu-series. There were objections from Egypt’s own government, and a long critical statement from Egypt’s Ministry of Tourism & Antiquities after the release of the first trailer declaring Cleopatra was “light-skinned” and had a Hellenistic character.
Many Egyptians took over the internet to speak against the Netflix documentary series, some calling for a ban. The belief that it was a misrepresentation and an overall distortion of Egyptian history looked at through our modern lens. Kudos to Netflix, that it was successful in creating virality and hype around the series. But is the documentary worth a watch? Let’s dive deeper into that.
What’s so controversial about Docu-Drama?
QUEEN CLEOPATRA is debuting today on NETFLIX .. Government of Egypt is mad the legendary Queen is depicted as Black instead of White .. Egyptians would rather the Queen be depicted as white Greek rather than black African! Who will tell Egyptians Egypt is in Africa not Europe? pic.twitter.com/jOnDFdk5eV
— Donald B Kipkorir (@DonaldBKipkorir) May 10, 2023
Talking about history, ‘Cleopatra’ was hailed as the Queen of Kings. Queen Cleopatra’s active influence on Roman politics (during 51-30 BCE), her efforts in building up Egypt’s economy, and her bolstering of Egypt’s status as a world power made her a formidable queen.
In the words of Egyptian authorities, the Netflix series doesn’t justify her beauty and character.  The fury over casting Adele James, a Black actor in the role of the Ptolemaic queen, Queen Cleopatra, does not offer any great insights into the mind of the viewers about the women who survived and thrived in a male-dominated world in that era.
Why the snafu around “Queen Cleopatra” seems undying?
The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities stated that the appearance of a heroine of the documentary "Queen #Cleopatra", which will be shown on the "Netflix" platform, with African features and dark skin, is considered a falsification of Egyptian history. 1/2 pic.twitter.com/d8Zwuho9Bx
— Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities (@TourismandAntiq) April 30, 2023
The biggest buzz about Netflix’s drama comes from casting a Cleopatra with light brown skin and curly hair which met with uproar with people insisting that she couldn’t possibly be black. This insistence on her whiteness is curious and consistent, seems like the Egypt authorities are not ready to let it go.
A government-owned television channel in Egypt, Al Wathaeqya has decided to create its own high-end series based on “Queen Cleopatra” to rival it. This subsidiary of Egypt’s state-affiliated United Media Services said its documentary will be based on the “utmost levels” of research and accuracy.
Quick review: Stream It or Skip It!
Disregarding the idea of having a white actor portraying a beautiful & historic queen, and despite historians’ impressive views, the drama outshines the testimony at every turn. Netflix’s docu-drama is not substandard.
The focus of the documentary is not just Cleopatra’s race; it is entirely about her life as the Last Pharaoh of ancient Egypt. “Queen Cleopatra” reminds us of the many facets of the last pharaoh and how it raised insecurities among the Roman Senate turning the notion of Cleopatra being an evil and cunning woman responsible for the deaths of her own cousins.
The show portrays her strong character, that her presence indeed threatened the Romans, and how she was condemned for the downfall of Caesar and Antony. The Executive producer Jada Pinkett Smith brings to light the nature of politics that existed in the Roman era and how different it is from the idea of modern morality.
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