Christopher Nolan faces criticism for filming The Odyssey in Western Sahara

Christopher Nolan is facing backlash for filming parts of The Odyssey in Western Sahara, 70 percent of which is occupied by Morocco.

Western Sahara International Film Festival released a statement to Christopher Nolan to stop The Odyssey production

Western Sahara International Film Festival (aka FiSahara), which takes place in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria, released a statement urging Oppenheimer director Christopher Nolan to stop production in the region.

"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," their statement read.

Western Sahara is a disputed territory and is classified as “non-self-governing” by the United Nations. It is the last remaining African colonial state to achieve independence, but Morocco is still trying to seek control over the majority of its land. 

"By filming part of The Odyssey in an occupied territory classified as a 'journalistic desert' by Reporters Without Borders , Nolan and his team, perhaps unwittingly 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," says FiSahara's executive director, María Carrión .

Pro-regime media celebrated the arrival of Christopher Nolan, Zendaya, and Matt Damon, in the "the southern provinces of Morocco." They landed on July 17.

The statement explained that Sahrawi cultural expressions are often promoted by Morocco as "exclusively Moroccan."

"Sahrawis who try to make films about their lives are persecuted and must work clandestinely, at great risk to themselves and their families," it said.

Three Stolen Cameras was one documentary produced by Sahrawis but it was banned by Morocco.

"Dakhla... is an occupied and militarized city whose indigenous Sahrawi population is subjected to brutal repression by the Moroccan occupation forces," FiSahara added.

The Odyssey, an adaptation of the Greek epic poem, is an upcoming epic action fantasy film written, directed, and co-produced by Christopher Nolan. 

Filming, which is still ongoing, began in February 2025 and occurred throughout various regions worldwide, including Morocco, Western Sahara, Greece, Italy, Scotland, and Iceland. Production cost is estimated to be $250 million—the most expensive film of by Christopher Nolan thus far.

The film is slated to release on July 17, 2026.

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