Christopher Nolan's 'The Odyssey' faces backlash for filming in Western Sahara
Christopher Nolan
is facing criticism for filming parts of his upcoming film "The Odyssey" in the Western Sahara, 70% of which is occupied by Morocco, reported Variety.
Nolan reportedly filmed in Moroccan-controlled Dakhla
According to the outlet, the director recently spent four days filming in the highly anticipated historical film starring
Matt Damon
,
Tom Holland
, Anne Hathaway, Zendaya and more in the city of Dakhla, which has been deemed the capital of the Moroccan administrative region of Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab.
Western Sahara recognised as disputed territory
Western Sahara is a disputed territory and is classified as "non-self-governing" by the United Nations. Home to the Indigenous Sahrawi people, it's the last remaining African colonial state to achieve independence, with Morocco still claiming control over the majority of its land, reported Variety.
However, a Morocco-proposed plan giving Western Sahara autonomy but Morocco ultimate sovereignty -- similar to Spain's relationship to the Canary Islands and Basque Country -- picked up steam last year with the support of the U.S.,
U.K. and France, reported Variety.
Sahrawi film festival issued protest statement
Last week, after the shoot had wrapped in the region, the Western Sahara International Film Festival (aka FiSahara) -- which takes place in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria -- put out a statement urging Nolan to stop production.
"Dakhla is not just a beautiful place with cinematic sand dunes. First and foremost, it is an occupied and militarized city whose Indigenous Sahrawi population is subjected to brutal repression by the Moroccan occupation forces," the festival said, adding that the production should "stop filming in Dakhla and stand in solidarity with the Sahrawi people who have been under military occupation for 50 years and who are routinely imprisoned and tortured for their peaceful struggle for self-determination," reported Variety.
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Moroccan official welcomed the Hollywood production
On the other hand, Reda Benjelloun of the Moroccan Cinematographic Centre told a local outlet, Medias24, last week that the production filming in Dakhla is "extremely important," marking the first major Hollywood production to do so.
"Dakhla will indeed offer extraordinary opportunities in the future to foreign productions ... which will find geography very different from other regions of Morocco," said Benjelloun as quoted by Variety.
'The Odyssey,' which adapts Homer's ancient Greek epic poem for the big screen, has also filmed in Morocco, Greece and Italy. It's set for a theatrical release from Universal on July 17, 2026, with early tickets already selling out for screenings.
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