No one, not even Christopher Nolan, the Oscar-winning director behind the critically acclaimed “+ Oppenheimer,” is immune from criticism. He shot part of his forthcoming adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey” in Dakhla, a city in Western Sahara that has been under Moroccan occupation for more than 50 years. The film, set for release on July 17, 2026, boasts a star-studded cast including Matt Damon, Charlize Theron, Zendaya, Lupita Nyong’o, and Anne Hathaway, and is backed by Universal Pictures as a “mythic action epic shot across the world.”
Production filming in Dakhla has provoked condemnation by 39 organizations. Among those Stops and festivals is the Western Sahara International Film Festival, or FiSahara. Founded in 2004, FiSahara aims to “entertain, convey knowledge and empower refugees from the Western Sahara.” The festival’s organizers have denounced Nolan for being in the occupied territory. They claim that his presence serves to legitimize Moroccan repression and continues the long 47-year old occupation.
Morocco’s occupation of the territory — known as Western Sahara — started in 1976 with the departure of repressive Spanish colonial forces. Ever since, the region has been the subject of major political strife, with the vast majority of Sahrawis wanting independence from Morocco. As reports show, Morocco has utilized these international tourism and cultural events to further obscure the reality of life in the occupied region. These efforts to hype up the race usually silence Indigenous people.
María Carrión, an advocate for Reporters Without Borders, underscored the challenges facing journalists in Western Sahara. She refers to it as a “desert for journalists.” She stated, “Morocco only allows entry into occupied Western Sahara to those who fit its strategy of selling its occupation to the outside world.”
Critics contend that such high-profile visits from filmmakers and celebrities inadvertently shored up Morocco’s narrative. They think these visits imply that Western Sahara is happy with its governance. Carrión elaborated on this concern: “Tourists who go to Moroccan-built and -owned resorts, companies willing to participate in its plundering of natural resources, journalists willing to toe its line, and high-profile visitors like Nolan and his team who help Morocco sell the narrative that Western Sahara is part of Morocco are given the red carpet treatment.”
The backlash against Nolan highlights a broader issue regarding cultural representation and the responsibilities of filmmakers when choosing locations for their work. According to FiSahara’s organizers, filming in a territory where Indigenous peoples are muted by occupation is important. They stressed the need to let these communities tell their own narratives.
“By filming part of The Odyssey in an occupied territory … Nolan and his team, perhaps unknowingly and unwittingly, are contributing to Morocco’s repression of the Sahrawi people and to the Moroccan regime’s efforts to normalize its occupation of Western Sahara,” Carrión stated.
Nolan’s adaptation of “The Odyssey” aims to explore timeless themes through epic storytelling and advanced filmmaking techniques. Using state of the art Imax film technology, the visual experience of the project is sure to be breathtaking. The artistic ambitions have been overshadowed by the choice of location. It has further raised ethical concerns over the negative effects this leads to on local communities.