Denzel Washington's Hannibal Casting Ignites Controversy in Tunisia

Critics argue the casting misrepresents historical figure's ethnicity, sparking debate about cultural representation in film.

Denzel Washington's casting as General Hannibal in an upcoming Netflix film has sparked controversy in Tunisia, with critics arguing that the Carthaginian leader was of Phoenician background and likely pale-skinned, not black.
Tunisian MP Yassine Mami raised the issue in Parliament, warning of a risk of 'falsifying history'.
A petition has been launched urging the Tunisian culture ministry to protect and foster Tunisian culture against what organizers see as an 'Afrocentric' view of history.
Tunisia’s culture minister, Hayet Ketat Guermazi, defended the project, saying she welcomed the attention it would bring to the country and hoped Netflix would shoot some of the film in Tunisia.
The controversy echoes a similar uproar in Egypt over the casting of mixed-race British actress Adele James as Cleopatra in a Netflix docudrama.