Visitors look at the ‘Great Cleopatra’ statue by Italian sculptor Alfonso Balzico at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome.
A 90-minute Egyptian version was released on Wednesday, the same day as the Netflix series, while another ambitious project is in development.
Egypt challenges Netflixx with their own documentaries about the “real” Cleopatra, in the midst of the controversy generated by the new miniseries of the American platform ‘Queen Cleopatra’, which has been broadcast since May 10.
In Netflix production, the famous Egyptian queen is played by a black actressthe british Adele Jameswhich has provoked the indignation of the defenders of historical accuracy.
The authorities of the North African country dismissed the series as “falsification of history“, noting that Netflix presents it like a documentary and not as a dramatic work.
From the Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities they affirmed that Cleopatra “was light-skinned and Hellenistic features“, and that the best proof of its true appearance are the ancient statues and bas-reliefs preserved with its image.
“I have nothing against it, but I remember the facts”
As a result of this controversy, the country released its own documentary on “the true” story of Queen Cleopatra, which “is based on archaeological research and cooperation,” report local media.
The 90-minute Egyptian version was released on Wednesday, the same day as the Netflix series.
“I have nothing against blacks, but I remember the facts“, declared the prominent Egyptologist and former Minister of Antiquities of the Arab country, Zahi Hawass, who participated in the production of the film.
another great project
Also, at the end of April it was known that Egyptian state broadcaster AlWathaeqyhad begun to prepare another great project about Cleopatra.
In a social media post, the channel revealed that “meetings are currently being held working with various experts in history, archeology and anthropology” to deepen the issues that will be reflected in this film.
disputed identity
Cleopatra was descended from an ancient Macedonian dynasty founded on the banks of the Nile by King Ptolemy Ione of Alexander the Great’s generals.
However, it He does not know the identity of his mother. and historians point out that it is possible that she, or any of her ancestors, was a native of Egypt or other parts of Africa.
