Christopher Nolan criticised for shooting The Odyssey in occupied Western Sahara
The forthcoming film, based on Homer's ancient Greek epic poem, will star Matt Damon, Tom Holland and Zendaya - among others - and is being filmed in several locations, including Greece, Italy, Scotland and Iceland.
The decision to shoot some of the film in the city of Dakhla, which is located in the Western Sahara, has provoked criticism from rights groups who say the filmmakers are whitewashing Morocco's more than 50-year occupation of the territory.
Sahrawi journalist and filmmaker Mamine Hachimi described Nolan's choice of filming location as an "act of cultural complicity" with Morocco's occupation.
"Western Sahara remains the last colony in Africa, recognised by the UN. Morocco's presence there is illegal in every sense from international law, sustained by repression, exploitation of land and silencing of indigenous voices," he told Middle East Eye.
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"Any foreign production choosing to shoot in the occupied territory without the consent of the Sahrawi people becomes part of that system of repression, knowingly or not."
Hachimi co-directed "Three Stolen Cameras," a short documentary that detailed the difficulties facing the Sahrawi media organisation Equipe Media as it attempted to document the abuses perpetrated against the Sahrawi in Western Sahara.
'Art should defy injustice, not perpetuate it'
- Mamine Hachimi, filmmaker
The film was initially set to premiere in Beirut in 2017, but was dropped following pressure from the Moroccan government.
Members of Equipe Media also faced arrest and harassment from Moroccan authorities.
"This isn't only about a film. It's about narrative ownership and who gets to weave what tales while others are buried," Hachimi told MEE.
"I plead with Christopher Nolan and the producers to reconsider this move and understand the political ramifications of their actions. Art should defy injustice, not perpetuate it."
Coming off the back of Nolan's Oscar wins for Oppenheimer - and with a star-studded cast - many are tipping The Odyssey for further Oscar success.
Tickets are already on sale for some select early IMAX 70mm showings and are thought to be almost completely sold out.
Nolan, Damon and Zendaya's visit to Dakhla last week was also reported on by Moroccan media, which hailed the visit to "Morocco's southern provinces" - a status that is not recognised by the vast majority of countries.
Local activist group Coordination Mechanism for Protest Action in Occupied Dakhla said filming in its city showed a "flagrant disregard for the region's legal status".
'This is not just a film shoot; it is a political act that contributes to the erasure of the Sahrawi people's identity and struggle,' it said in a statement.
'News black hole'
Occupied by Morocco since 1975, the Western Sahara has been claimed by native Sahrawis, while the Algeria-backed Polisario Front has fought against the Moroccan state for independence for decades.
Hundreds of thousands of Sahrawi refugees live across the border in camps in southwestern Algeria, while independence campaigners in Western Sahara have faced repeated repression by Moroccan authorities.
In 2021, the US agreed to recognise Moroccan sovereignty over the Western Sahara in exchange for the kingdom recognising Israel.
The uphill struggle of Sahrawis battling Morocco on Western Sahara's berm Read More »
Spain and France have also both announced their support for a Morocco-proposed autonomy plan that Sahrawis have denounced as denying them their sovereignty.
The Western Sahara International Film Festival (FiSahara), an annual event that takes place in the camps, said Nolan and the actors should stand in "solidarity" with the Sahrawi filmmakers who attempted to document the repression meted out against them in occupied territory.
'By filming part of The Odyssey in an occupied territory billed as a 'news black hole' by Reporters without Borders, Nolan and his team, perhaps unknowingly and unwillingly, are contributing to the repression of the Sahrawi people by Morocco, and to the Moroccan regime's efforts to normalise its occupation of Western Sahara', said FiSahara Executive Director Maria Carrion.
'We are sure that were they to understand the full implications of filming such a high-profile film in a territory whose indigenous peoples are unable to make their own films about their stories under occupation, Nolan and his team would be horrified."
MEE contacted Nolan's production company, Syncopy Inc, for a comment, but had not received a response at the time of publication.
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