Award-winning director Christopher Nolan is under increasing criticism for choosing to film sections of his new epic, The Odyssey, in Dakhla, a Western Saharan city occupied by Morocco but declared “non-self-governing” by the United Nations. Although anticipation of Nolan’s take on Homer’s ancient Greek masterpiece is yet to diminish, human rights organizations and campaigners have denounced the director’s location choice.
Pivotal scenes were shot in the Moroccan-occupied Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab area, reports Variety. But Dakhla also falls under Western Sahara, a territory whose colonial history remains unsettled and which has been an independent movement for decades by the Indigenous Sahrawi.
Demands for Solidarity with the Sahrawi People
The Western Sahara International Film Festival (FiSahara) released a public statement calling on Nolan to stop filming in Dakhla. “This is not simply a desert backdrop—Dakhla is an occupied city where Sahrawi individuals endure continuous repression,” the organization said, calling the production’s presence “a form of complicity.”
Director Mara Carrin and actor Javier Bardem, staunch defenders of Sahrawi rights, expressed similar sentiments. Bardem posted an impassioned statement on Instagram, decrying the film’s decision to shoot in Morocco as supporting Morocco’s attempt to erase Sahrawi identity.
356 days until Christopher Nolan’s THE ODYSSEY. Can't wait.#TheOdyssey #TheOdysseyMovie pic.twitter.com/vBTqMoSmUp
— nolan (@krrishnolan) July 26, 2025
Polisario Front and Others Object
The Polisario Front, the nationalist movement of Western Sahara, criticized Nolan’s film as “normalizing” Morocco’s occupation. They labeled the production “an unethical exploitation of art to whitewash colonialism.”
Contrasting Positions in Morocco
Reda Benjelloun of Morocco’s Cinematographic Center came to the film’s defense, hailing Dakhla’s distinctive landscapes and the potential for attracting future foreign productions.
Worldwide Release Targeted for 2026
The Odyssey, starring Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway, and Zendaya, has also been shot in Greece, Italy, and Morocco. The movie will release theatrically across the globe on July 17, 2026.
