The trailer of a new Netflix documentary called 'Queen Cleopatra', which is supposed to explore the real life and personality of Cleopatra, has caused an uproar on social media, one wonders how it will do this, since from the beginning it presents her as black (something which is historically untrue), a historical blunder which an American subscription channel had also committed in 2017 with the black Achilles!
The choice of the young black actress Adele James to play Cleopatra VII of Egypt "stranged" several commentators on the internet, who were quick to comment that the particular monarch was a member of the Ptolemaic dynasty, a Greek family of Macedonian origin, who ruled Egypt after the death of Alexander the Great during the Hellenistic period.
It's good that the foreigners are reacting because we Greeks don't show any sensitivity!
"Cleopatra was a Greek of Macedonian origin" many commentators write in their posts, while wondering why the creators of a documentary (of a genre that is supposed to be based on historical facts and sources) chose this particular approach.
One of the people who spoke negatively about the allegations that the documentary seems to make is the Egyptologist and former Minister of Antiquities of Egypt Zahi Hawass, according to the site Egypt Independent.
Recalling Cleopatra's Greek origins, Hawass pointed out that the majority of historical findings and depictions of the time support the view of most academics, that the dynamic monarch was not black.
Although the docu-series has yet to air, it's clear from the trailer that the highly capable monarch is portrayed by the show's cast as a black woman, possibly of " misunderstood ancestry."
One of the people speaking in the short clip even mentions the following: "I remember my grandmother telling me, 'I don't care what they teach in school, Cleopatra was black'".
“The new documentary series produced by Jada Pinkett Smith explores the lives of prominent and iconic African queens. This season features Cleopatra, the world's most famous, powerful and misunderstood woman – a bold queen whose beauty and loves overshadow her true asset, her mind.
Cleopatra's legacy has been the subject of much controversy in academic circles, something that is often overlooked by Hollywood. Our series re-evaluates this fascinating part of its history," reads the description of the new program on Netfix's YouTube page.
A change.org petition calling for "Queen Cleopatra" to be canceled due to its false claims garnered several thousand signatures, before the platform eventually removed it for violating its terms of use.
Let's also remember that six years ago, NetFlix, the American subscription television whose services are provided in almost all countries, decided together with the BBC in a series about the Trojan War to present Achilles as black. He also decided to present Jupiter as black!
With information from Pronews.gr
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