FRANCE: Race row in France after white actor used to play mixed race French national hero
FURIOUS BLACK campaigners in France have protested after filmmakers used a white actor to play legendary mixed race French writer and national hero, Alexandre Dumas.
In a film called L’Autre Dumas, Gerard Depardieu, who is blond and blue-eyed, was given darker skin and curly hair to play Dumas.
Dumas, the grandson of a Haitian slave and the son of a Napoleonic general, was mocked for his African features even as he created well-loved books such as the Count of Monte Cristo and the Three Musketeers. They are also high grossing hit films.
Patrick Lozès, the president of the Council of Black Associations of France (CRAN) told the Times: “In 150 years time could the role of Barack Obama be played in a film by a white actor with a fuzzy wig? Can Martin Luther King be played by a white?”The filmmakers also reportedly credited a fictional white assistant with creating some of Dumas’ well-loved books, The Times newspaper reported.
The campaigners said they are furious because the film not only uses a white actor, but seems to attempt to discredit Dumas’ genius, further bury his black origins and keep black actors off the screen.
“Possibly for commercial reasons they are whitewashing Dumas in order to blacken him further,” the Council said on its website.
mulatto diaries 
Wow…Are we lacking in mulatto actors?? Just sayin’…but I digress…although Depardieu is a white man, he does have a distinct nose which could be helpful in his portrayal of this poet’s struggle with being teased for his black features. With that said, I hope this is included in the film.
@Tiff…have you heard of a film called, “Skin”? It’s as if Hollywood knew of us (you and I) and our interest in the early “Mulattas” struggle during the apartheid era and made a movie just for us! 🙂 I haven’t seen it yet, BUT! I must say I want to…
Be blessed!
Angel 0=)
i just read that yesterday…its typical of french to white wash history like america.
the fact that they use a known white guy famous in france to play a non-white role makes me wonder if this movie is supposed to be some kind of lame joke….i can’t possibly take this serious…i guess this is why france is behind the world when it comes to movie making, they choose nationality over having class.