Egypt Responds to Netflix Documentary: Cleopatra Had Fair Skin

After Netflix announced its documentary featuring a Black actress portraying Queen Cleopatra, strong reactions followed, especially in Egypt. The Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt confirmed that "Cleopatra had fair skin and Hellenistic features," noting in a statement that "the artifacts and statues of Queen Cleopatra are clear evidence," accompanying the statement with images of marble statues depicting Cleopatra with European features and images of Greek coins. The Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities, Mustafa Waziri, stated that "the portrayal of the heroine in this way is a distortion of Egyptian history," considering that "the rejection of the film before its release stems from a defense of the history of Queen Cleopatra VII, which is an important and integral part of ancient Egyptian history, far from any racial prejudice." The promotional clip for the documentary indicates that "this documentary story reinterprets the life of the last Egyptian pharaonic figure, during her struggle to defend her throne, family, and work." Many internet users have deemed it "a rewrite of history." A petition titled "Stop the Cleopatra Documentary on Netflix for Historical Distortion" has gathered over 40,000 signatures. The film "Queen Cleopatra," produced by Jada Pinkett Smith, is set to be released on May 10 on the Netflix platform.