Actor Denzel Washington has been cast in a Netflix movie as the ancient Carthaginian general Hannibal, and the home country of the legendary military commander is taking issue with the casting pick for the role.
In the North African country of Tunisia, numerous news outlets are reporting complaints from Tunisians about the racial and ethnic composition of the actor as not an accurate historical portrayal.
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The Tunisian news outlet La Presse reported the casting of the award-winning actor to play Hannibal was called “problematic.”
“To consider Hannibal as a black African would be, according to Tunisians and many observers, a historical error, because Carthage, built by the Phoenicians in the current Tunisia, is located just 200 kilometers southwest of Sicily,” the article reportedly said.
La Presse interviewed historian Mary Lefkowitz, and she explained that the common historical belief is that Hannibal descended from “Semitic Phoenite settlers.”
“The ministry should take a position on the subject,” Tunisian Member of Parliament Yassine Mami reportedly said. “This is about defending Tunisian identity and listening to the reactions of civil society.”
Hannibal is a revered hero in Tunisia, where his name is all over stores, hotels, and even the country’s currency. He was responsible for inflicting some of the most devastating losses in Roman military history.
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A Change.org petition claims that “this miscasting and falsifying History is unacceptable and unethical.”
“We urge Netflix to either cancel their so called ‘documentary’ or ‘fact-based film,'” the petition said.
