A few days ago, the trailer for an upcoming theatrical documentary series titled “Queen Cleopatra“. The documentary tells about the life of Queen Cleopatra. However, in just a few hours, the video caused a firestorm because the actress who plays her is of African descent.

Not only this Netflixbut the creators have also been attacked by Egyptians and social media users due to the product, which is expected to premiere on the streaming platform in May 10.

Wanting to respond to the hateful comments and extreme reactions, four-episode director Tina Garavi wrote a letter to Variety.

Garavi writes the following:

“Last summer I was living in Venice Beach and decided, at the urging of a friend, to visit a fortune teller. I went and what I heard gave me a disapproving look: “I’m not saying you’re Cleopatra, but somehow you share the same story and are connected.”

Less than a month later, I got a call from a production company preparing a new documentary series called African Queens. The producer will be Jada Pinkett Smith, and the project will tell about the life of Cleopatra.

I remember seeing Elizabeth Taylor in this role as a child. I was “delighted”, but even then I felt that the image was wrong. Was Cleopatra’s skin so white? Through this new production, I was able to find answers to questions about her origins and free her from the shackles that Hollywood had placed on her appearance.

I am Persian, born in Iran, and Cleopatra’s lineage was once attributed to Greeks, Macedonians and Persians.

While doing research, I realized how politically correct it would be to see a black actress in the role of Cleopatra. To me, the idea that people have been so wrong before—historically, from Theda Bara to Monica Bellucci to Angelina Jolie and Gal Gadot who expected to play her in future projects—meant that we had to get it right. I was looking for the right actress to bring Cleopatra to the screen in the 21st century.

Why is Cleopatra not a melancholic? And why do so many people want her white? After a lot of trouble and countless auditions, we found Adele James, an actress who was able to convey not only the beauty of Cleopatra, but also her strength. What historians can confirm is that Cleopatra looked more like Adele than Elizabeth Taylor.

As the day of filming approached, I realized the scope and political nature of the work. It’s important to get it right, but also to find a way to tell the story in a humane and slightly different way.

The HBO series Rome portrayed one of the most intelligent, sophisticated and dynamic women in the world as a drug addict and weirdo, but the Egyptians weren’t put off. Where were the reactions then? And they are against a black actress? What are they so worried about?

During filming, I became the subject of a huge online debate. The Egyptians accused me of “denigrating” and “stealing” their history. Some threatened to ruin my career.

So was Cleopatra black? We don’t know for sure, but we can be sure that she wasn’t white like Elizabeth Taylor. We must understand that the story of Cleopatra is not so much about her, but about who we are.

It’s almost like realizing that misogyny still affects us today. We need to let our imagination run wild and create a world where we can explore our historical personalities without fear of what will come out of their depiction. I am proud to support Queen Cleopatra – Cleopatra reimagined – and the team behind the series.”

According to Variety