The documentary “Queen Cleopatra”, produced by “Netflix“, received low ratings, which were described as “the worst” in the history of artwork.
The work sparked great controversy in Egypt, and the state and a large segment of Egyptians criticized it and accused it of “falsifying history” due to the embodiment of a black actress for the role of the Egyptian queen, who has Greek roots.
And so far, on the “Rotten Tomatoes” website that specializes in evaluating works of art, the documentary has received one of the lowest ratings from followers, reaching 3%, and 10 days ago it was 1%, to the point that Forbes said that it is one of the lowest ratings in the history of works that Produced by Netflix.
The documentary work scored 20% of the critics’ rating on the site, but with only 15 opinions.
The Egyptian Ministry of Tourism and Antiquities has criticized the documentary, stating that it is a distortion of Egyptian history and completely inaccurate. They emphasized that documentaries should be based on historical and scientific facts to ensure the preservation of people’s civilizations.
An Egyptian lawyer also filed a lawsuit before the judiciary, demanding that the film be banned, and urged the authorities to take legal measures towards claiming financial compensation set by the claimant at two billion dollars, to be paid by Netflix in compensation for what he described as material and moral damages to the state and the Egyptian people.
No date has yet been set for the case to be heard in court.
As the Secretary-General of the Supreme Council of Antiquities in Egypt, Mostafa Waziri, said in a statement, “The state of rejection that the film witnessed comes out of a sense of defending the history of Queen Cleopatra VII, which is an authentic and important part of the ancient history of Egypt and far from any ethnic racism with full respect for civilizations.” Africa and for our brothers on the continent.
The work also witnessed criticism from the pioneers of social networking sites in Egypt, accusing Netflix of falsifying Egyptian history.
Adele James, the British actress, responded to criticism of her portrayal of Cleopatra in her movie and expressed her sadness for those who feel threatened by black people.
During her interview on “The Way Iris Podcast” on the Apple Podcasts app, James revealed that she has faced harsh criticism. She expressed sadness about some Egyptians and others who engage in this behavior. James believes that these individuals either have self-hatred or feel threatened by black people. She explained that they try to separate Egypt from the rest of the continent.
James mentioned that the “Netflix” network is producing a film to showcase the misunderstood aspects of Cleopatra, rather than portraying her solely as a point of contention between men.
After the film sparked controversy, Egyptian TV channels and Egyptologists decided to create “documentary films” about Cleopatra VII’s life. Additionally, Egyptologist Zahi Hawass announced his own documentary film project about the queen.
Cleopatra VII was the final ruler of the Macedonian dynasty that governed Egypt after Alexander the Great’s passing in 323 BC. She held power until the Roman conquest of Egypt in 30 BC, which culminated in her taking her life.
Cleopatra was born in 69 BC to King Ptolemy XII. After he died in 51 BC, she assumed power while sharing the throne with her brother Ptolemy XIII.