The actress Noa Cohen starring in the role of the virgin Mary in a fiction film on Netflix. (Screen shot: d’écran YouTube/Netflix)
Christmas films typically enjoy unanimous support, but the one announced by Netflix a week ago is already dividing opinions before its release. The trailer for Mary, an American film inspired by the Bible and focused on the life of the Virgin Mary, was released on Nov. 12 and has sparked controversy due to its casting, which mainly features Israeli actors.
The video, however, aims to capture the essence of classic American blockbusters: dramatic music, a hero facing a clearly defined villain — King Herod, played by Anthony Hopkins, who is ready to kill all the children to prevent the Messiah's arrival. The mother of Christ, portrayed by young Noa Cohen, defies the king's men to give birth to Jesus.
‘An insult to Christians’
The video garnered many enthusiastic reactions: "Exactly what we need for Christmas!" and "I can't wait!" ... However, others have criticized the casting of several Israeli actors: Noa Cohen in the lead role, Ido Tako as Joseph and Ori Pfeffer as Joachim, Mary's father. Other Israeli actors are also featured in the cast.
"If Mary gave birth to Jesus today in the Palestinian city of Bethlehem, they’d probably get held at gunpoint at a checkpoint by Noa here (the Israeli actress playing Mary) and all her Israeli co-stars," commented a user on X. "It's such an insult to Christians, especially while Israel is committing genocide and bombing churches," denounced another user, with a hashtag that has been widely used: #BoycottNetflix.
The 21-year-old actress who plays Mary also appeared in the 2024 series 8200, which focuses on the famous Israeli military intelligence unit, whose bases are frequently targeted by Hezbollah in its war against Israel.
Discussions have sparked on social media following users' reactions. "But Jesus and Mary were Jewish, I don’t see the issue," one user commented. "Jewish, yes, Israeli, no," another responded, highlighting the distinction between religion and nationality.
Possible censorship in Lebanon?
Other media outlets, such as The New Arab and Middle East Eye, report on the "erasure of Palestinian voices" and remind that the streaming platform has previously been at the center of similar criticisms on related topics.
A month ago, Netflix was accused of removing the majority of a collection of 32 films titled ‘Palestinian Stories,’ which explored life under Israeli occupation. Some claimed that these films were removed between Oct. 14 and 15, 2024, "under the pressure of Zionist lobbies" amid the escalating war in Gaza.
What about Lebanon, a country familiar with such controversies, especially during film releases? "Censorship seems unlikely to me, as this is a streaming platform and not a film shown in theaters," said Jad Chahrour, media officer at the SKeyes.
"From a purely technical standpoint, the Ministry of Culture or the censorship committee authorities could ask Netflix to remove the film... which, to my knowledge, has never happened," he noted, pointing out that the topic hasn't sparked major controversy in Lebanon. When contacted by L'Orient-Le Jour, the General Security, responsible for the censorship committee, did not respond to our inquiries.
This is not the first time Netflix has been at the center of a boycott campaign. In addition to the controversy over the removed Palestinian films, the 2020 series Messiah also generated significant backlash. The show portrayed a prophet in modern-day Syria, guiding residents of Damascus, fearful of the Islamic State group, across the Israeli border. A petition circulated on social media, condemning it as "evil and anti-Islamic propaganda."
