Netflix movie 'Mary' sparks controversy, makers defend their decision

Netflix faces backlash for its upcoming show 'Mary', which narrates the story of the birth of Jesus Christ from his mother Mary's perspective

Netflix's recently released movie Mary has attracted severe criticism from Palestinian supporters and conservative Christians. D.J. Caruso's directorial 'Mary' revolves around the story of Mary, Jesus Christ's mother. 

 

The makers are receiving online backlash because of the casting of Israeli actress Noa Cohen as Mary and lack of Arab and Palestinian representation in the movie. Critics argue that casting an Israeli actress in the biblical figure, particularly when there are heightened Middle Eastern tensions, is politically insensitive.

 

'Mary' stars Israelis Noa Cohen, Ori Pfeffer, and Ido Tako, with Cohen’s portrayal of Mary being called out by critics for “erasing Palestinian identity and spreading historical inaccuracies about the family of Christ.” 

 

Many Christian groups also criticised the movie for its deviation from traditional religious doctrine, objecting to how Mary’s relationship with Joseph is portrayed, questioning its historical accuracy.

 

The makers defended their decision to cast Israeli actresses which was aimed to maintain authenticity as the cast hails from Israel.

 

The Telegraph quoted DJ Caruso and stated, "It was important to us that Mary, along with most of our primary cast, be selected from Israel to ensure authenticity.”

 

Director Caruso is known for thrillers like 'Disturbia' and 'xXx: Return of Xander Cage'. 

Noa Cohen was also involved in a controversy

This is not the first time that Noa Cohen has been involved in such controversy sparking debate. For instance, portraying Archangel Gabriel and Satan in contemporary attire divides the audience.  

How did social media react?

One of the social media users read, “There is something profoundly offensive about having an Israeli actor play Mary while Israel is committing genocide against Palestinians, killing some of the oldest Christian communities in the world and erasing their heritage sites.”

 

While another user wrote, "It is evident that the scriptwriters, producers, and directors of the movie Mary did not consult the Bible before putting it out on Netflix."

 

A third user wrote, "Jesus, Mary and everyone in this show should be Palestinian.”

 

“The whole main cast is white Europeans except for one biracial guy," another user wrote.