Los Angeles, US | July 30, 2025: Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan’s highly anticipated epic adaptation of Homer’s ‘The Odyssey,’ starring Matt Damon and Tom Holland, appears to be off to a controversial start. The production is currently facing significant criticism for filming portions of the movie in the disputed Western Sahara territory, with activists alleging that the director is inadvertently contributing to “brutal repression.” The film is slated to premiere on July 17, 2026.
Earlier this month, Nolan and his team filmed for four days near the coastal city of Dakhla, located in the Western Sahara. Approximately 70% of this territory is currently occupied by Morocco, a situation that has long been a point of international contention. The United Nations classifies Western Sahara as a “non-self-governing” territory, underscoring its unresolved political status.
The backlash intensified last week, after the shooting in the region had concluded, when the Western Sahara International Film Festival (FiSahara) released a strong statement urging Nolan to cease production in the area.
“Dakhla is not just a beautiful location with cinematic sand dunes. Primarily, it is an occupied, militarised city whose indigenous Sahrawi population is subject to brutal repression by occupying Moroccan forces,” the festival’s statement asserted.
María Carrión, Executive Director of FiSahara, further elaborated on the concerns. “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,” she stated.
FiSahara’s statement continued to express a hope that the filmmakers would reconsider their actions if fully informed of the implications. “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.”
The festival also highlighted how the Moroccan regime allegedly exploits cultural expressions and film production to legitimize its control over the region. “Morocco routinely touts Sahrawi cultural expressions as uniquely Moroccan. They created a film festival in Dakhla to counter ours, and produce high-budget films that portray Western Sahara as part of Morocco. However, Sahrawis trying to make films about their lives are persecuted and must work clandestinely and at great risk to themselves and their families,” the note concluded.
As of now, Christopher Nolan and his production team have not publicly responded to the criticisms from FiSahara or other human rights advocates. The controversy adds an unexpected layer to the production of one of Hollywood’s most anticipated upcoming films.