The comedic film "Queen Cleopatra" released by Netflix continues to spark ridicule from Egyptians due to its portrayal of the queen who ruled Egypt since the death of Alexander the Great in 323 BC, as having dark skin.

Twitter users criticize the Cleopatra film

Yara Abdel Fattah, a Twitter user, criticized the falsification of Egyptian history, using the hashtag "No to Afrocentricity," saying, "This is our history, we do not want this forgery. Cleopatra was fair-skinned, Greek, and the queen of Egypt."

Amine Jazairy, who holds Algerian nationality, said: "They aim primarily to expand their influence in Egypt and then in the rest of North Africa. They intend to achieve this by producing their series to spread the idea of black Africa to influence public opinion after Cleopatra. Perhaps they have another goal like the Black Massinissa."

Zahi Hawass: The film is a complete distortion of the truth

Former Egyptian Minister of Antiquities, Zahi Hawass, confirmed that the film is a complete distortion of history. Cleopatra was Greek, meaning she was blonde, not black, and the film is a distortion of the truth and an attempt to attract bright historical figures like Cleopatra to promote the idea that Egyptian civilization is black.

Hawass said in a statement to the press that there is a trend in the world in recent years led by African Americans and blacks in South America, to claim that Egyptian civilization is of black origin, stressing that "this talk has no basis in truth at all."

Tarek El Shennawy: The film completely contradicts historical truth

Art critic Tarek El Shennawy commented on the film in press statements, saying that we do not object to the Cleopatra film presented by Netflix because of the queen's black color. We object because this completely contradicts historical truth.

He added that these objections and others will ultimately lead to nothing. They will quickly fade away, and in the end, the official document that will remain in circulation will be "Black Cleopatra" with her African features.

Accusations against producers of rewriting history in a racial way

Critics of the film accuse its producers of rewriting history in a racial way, according to several international newspapers that highlighted the racial controversy sparked by Netflix's documentary on Cleopatra.

An online petition to cancel the documentary film about Cleopatra, Queen of the Ptolemaic Kingdom of Egypt, which garnered tens of thousands of signatures, accuses the producers of "falsifying history" by choosing a black-skinned actress for the lead role.

Queen Cleopatra film

The trailer for the Queen Cleopatra film, which is set to be released on May 10, came with a YouTube description claiming that Cleopatra's legacy has been the subject of much academic controversy that has largely been ignored by Hollywood.

Cleopatra, who was also of Macedonian origin, ruled Egypt for 21 years between 51-30 BC before her death at the age of 39. She spoke Greek as her mother tongue but was the only queen who made an effort to learn the Egyptian language.