Christopher Nolan’s movie adaptation of Homer’s “The Odyssey” is at the moment capturing on location all all over the world. Matt Damon is enjoying Odysseus, with Tom Holland portraying Odysseus’ son, Telemachus. As well as, Charlize Theron is reported to be enjoying Circe, whereas the movie boasts an enormous forged of big celebrities, together with Zendaya, Anne Hatheway, Lupita Nyong’o, Robert Pattinson, John Leguizamo, Elliot Web page, Will Yun Lee, Mia Goth, and plenty of others in addition to. Filming has taken place in Aït Benhaddou, Morocco, and numerous areas round Greece. Some scenes had been filmed on Sicily, and others had been filmed within the woods of Scotland or at a studio in Los Angeles. It seems that Nolan needed to re-visit the actual areas of the Mediterranean the place “The Odyssey” takes place. Nicely, Scotland and L.A. however.
In response to a brand new report from Deadline, nevertheless, Nolan has filmed “The Odyssey” in a location that’s politically problematic. Zendaya and Damon shot a couple of of their scenes just lately within the area of Western Sahara close to town of Dakhla. This space of the world has been declared a “non‑self‑governing territory” by the United Nations, a designation it was given manner again in 1963. Precise sovereignty of Western Sahara — a sparsely populated space of 600,000 individuals — has lengthy been disputed. Western Sahara has been militarily occupied by Morocco, however Morocco hasn’t been internationally acknowledged because the rightful ruler of the world. That is to say, the native Sahrawi inhabitants are being repressed.
Not too long ago, although, the US and the UK have claimed that Western Sahara is a part of Morocco. Large U.S. and UK film studios have even been negotiating with the Moroccan authorities to movie there, resulting in controversy and a tacit approval of Morocco’s occupation of the world. Now, by capturing “The Odyssey” in Western Sahara, Nolan has — maybe unwittingly — given credence to the navy occupation and the oppression and erasure of the Sahrawi individuals.
Christopher Nolan is filming The Odyssey in Western Sahara, a contested space of Northern Africa
Deadline identified that the Amazon sequence “The Wheel of Time” additionally beforehand filmed scenes in Western Sahara, outraging the board of the Western Sahara Worldwide Movie Pageant (or FiSahara). Though filmmakers are seemingly simply on the lookout for faraway and exquisite locales, the politics of their selections are insensitive. FiSahara launched an announcement on the matter, saying:
“Dakhla isn’t just a ravishing location with cinematic sand dunes. Primarily, it’s an occupied, militarized metropolis whose indigenous Sahrawi inhabitants is topic to brutal repression by occupying Moroccan forces. […] By filming a part of ‘The Odyssey’ in an occupied territory billed as a ‘information black gap’ by Reporters With out Borders, Nolan and his group, maybe unknowingly and unwillingly, are contributing to the repression of the Sahrawi individuals by Morocco.”
FiSahara appears to be giving Nolan the advantage of the doubt, understanding that the plight of the Sahrawi individuals is just not well-perpetuated amongst Western information sources. Nolan might not know that the Sakrawi individuals cannot make their very own motion pictures. This, in fact, impressed FiSahara to make the assertion within the first place. It continued:
“We’re certain that had been they to know the total implications of filming such a high-profile movie in a territory whose indigenous peoples are unable to make their very own movies about their tales underneath occupation, Nolan and his group can be horrified. Morocco routinely touts Sahrawi cultural expressions as uniquely Moroccan. They created a movie competition in Dakhla to counter ours and produce high-budget movies that painting Western Sahara as a part of Morocco. Nonetheless, Sahrawis attempting to make movies about their lives are persecuted and should work clandestinely and at nice threat to themselves and their households.”
One would possibly suppose Nolan, when being made conscious of this, would perceive what his areas meant.
The historical past of Western Sahara
The problem was elucidated upon additional in a current report from The Guardian. Western Sahara was underneath the occupation of Spain till the federal government pulled out in 1976. Morocco then annexed the nation and has been occupying it ever since. The UN, as talked about, famous that Western Sahara is just not formally dominated by Morocco, however that it does not have its personal official authorities but both. In response to the Workplace of the United Nations Excessive Commissioner for Human Rights, no reporters have been allowed within the territory for the final 9 years, and allegations have arisen that the Moroccan authorities is intimidating, observing, and discriminating towards the Sahrawi individuals.
Amnesty Worldwide has additionally written experiences on the oppression of the Sahrawi individuals, whereas Reporters With out Borders have famous that nobody ever will get to go there to get the total scoop. It’s, of their phrases, a desert for journalists.
The priority about capturing a high-profile characteristic movie like “The Odyssey” in Western Sahara is that it could be a whitewashing of the repression. If a serious Hollywood studio can write off on the oppression, then some might assume that it is not so large a deal. Followers are extra fascinated by Nolan’s craft and different “Odyssey” motion pictures.
The shoot in Dakhla lasted a mere 4 days, and Nolan had already moved his manufacturing out of the territory earlier than FiSahara made its assertion (as famous by The Guardian). Common has not but mentioned something concerning the subject, and Nolan hasn’t gone on report on the matter. Additional bulletins shall be posted as occasions warrant.
“The Odyssey” opens in theaters on July 17, 2026.
