Watching: The Many Faces of Cleopatra

Overview

The Egyptian queen was the most famous woman of antiquity, and she has been portrayed on movie screens by some of the most famous actresses in cinema, such as Theda Bara, Helen Gardner, Florence Lawrence, Claudette Colbert, Sophia Loren, Rhonda Fleming, Elizabeth Taylor and Leonor Varela. But the story of Cleopatra on film also includes those working behind the camera, producers, writers and directors such as Cecil B. DeMille. In this cinema retrospective focusing on the filmmakers and actresses who helped bring Cleopatra's legend to life on the silver screen time and again, fans of history and cinema are treated to lavish visions of ancient Egypt as seen through the lens of Hollywood's finest.