Independent filmmaker Curtis Ryan Woodside released a documentary about Cleopatra VII, the last queen of the Macedonian dynasty in Egypt, on Wednesday, coinciding with Netflix's release of a film about this historical figure, which has angered Egyptian archaeologists. Woodside's 90-minute film features renowned Egyptian archaeologist Zahi Hawass and Dominican archaeologist Kathleen Martinez and has garnered thousands of views within hours of its release on YouTube.
Woodside, who was born in South Africa, stated, "Everyone thinks they know Cleopatra, and each has a different opinion about her, but most of these opinions are modern, based on films and misleading stories," indicating that his film aims to showcase the true face of the famous queen. The 28-year-old filmmaker has several documentaries about ancient Egyptian civilization available on his YouTube channel, which have received tens of thousands of views.
His film does not rely on any re-enactments or simulations of historical characters but showcases heads of statues and ancient coins discovered in Egypt bearing the image of Cleopatra VII. In April, the promotional announcement for Netflix's documentary sparked outrage among Egyptian archaeologists and many social media users after British actress Adele James portrayed Cleopatra.
The Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt stated that "the depiction of the heroine in this manner constitutes a distortion of history and a blatant historical fallacy, especially since the film is classified as a documentary and not a dramatization." Additionally, the newly launched documentary channel in Egypt under the United Media Services Company announced its intention to produce a documentary in response to the Netflix film, but no timeframe has been set for that.
