The country of Tunisia has expressed outrage over the fact that two-time Academy Award-winning actor Denzel Washington has been cast as Hannibal the Conquerer in the upcoming Netflix film.
Hannibal was a Carthaginian general who nearly conquered Rome in 218BC after leading an epic campaign with an armada of African war elephants across the Alps to attack Rome from the north. Though his campaign failed, he is considered one of the greatest military leaders in history. Tunisia, the general’s birthplace, has claimed that Denzel Washington would race-swap the role. Per The Guardian:
French-language Tunisian news outlet La Presse published an article saying the casting created “a historical error”, while on social media, some users accused Netflix of promoting “woke culture”. An online petition signed by 1,300 people urged Netflix to “cancel its pseudo-documentary” and called on the ministry of culture to “take action against the attempt to steal our history”.
It should be noted that no historical document ever detailed Hannibal’s skin color, though “historians of the ancient Mediterranean world largely agree that he was of Phoenician descent – a region encompassing modern Lebanon and Syria – although he lived during a time of great empires and intermixing,” according to The Guardian.
The casting of Washington, arguably one of the greatest movie stars in the world, has been such a point of contention in Tunisia that one of the country’s MPs, Yassine Mami, questioned Culture Minister, Hayet Ketat Guermazi, on the floor of the Tunisian Parliament about it.
“The ministry should take a position on the subject,” said Mami. “This is about defending Tunisian identity and listening to the reactions of civil society.”
Guermazi said the ministry would be working with Netflix on shooting some sequences in Tunisia and defended Washington’s casting.
“It’s fiction; it’s their right. Hannibal is a historical figure, even if we’re all proud that he’s Tunisian … What could we do?” said Guermazi. “What matters to me is that they shoot even one sequence in Tunisia and mention it. We want Tunisia to become a platform for foreign films again.”
People on social media also came to Washington’s defense, asserting that this does not equate to woke culture.
They should be rejoicing, will never find a better actor! https://t.co/UdKojw6ncr
— Janet Philipp (@PhilippJanet) December 11, 2023
Paul Roland Bois directed the award-winning feature film, EXEMPLUM, which can be viewed for FREE on YouTube or Tubi. A high-quality, ad-free stream can also be purchased on Google Play or Vimeo on Demand. Follow him on Twitter @prolandfilms or Instagram @prolandfilms.