Nolan’s Odyssey Faces Fury for Filming in Western Sahara

Western Sahara - Acclaimed filmmaker Christopher Nolan is under fire after filming scenes of his much-anticipated epic The Odyssey in Dakhla, a city situated in Western Sahara , a region considered “non-self-governing” by the United Nations and embroiled in a decades-long struggle between Morocco and the Indigenous Sahrawi people.

The project, already hailed as a cinematic spectacle with stars like Matt Damon, Tom Holland, Zendaya, and Charlize Theron  is now mired in international criticism, with activists, human rights organizations, and filmmakers urging Nolan to “stop filming” and withdraw from the politically sensitive location.

What Happened?

Christopher Nolan, the director behind hits like Oppenheimer, Inception, and Interstellar, filmed major scenes of The Odyssey in Dakhla, a city in the Moroccan-controlled Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab region. This adaptation of Homer’s epic is set to premiere worldwide on July 17, 2026, distributed by Universal Pictures and shot using advanced IMAX technology.

However, shooting in Western Sahara has sparked strong criticism, especially from the Western Sahara International Film Festival (FiSahara), which operates from Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria.

Why the Backlash? 

FiSahara released a statement saying:

“Dakhla is not just a beautiful place with cinematic sand dunes,” 

 “It is an occupied and militarised city whose Indigenous Sahrawi population is subjected to brutal repression. “

Activists argue that by filming there, Nolan may be unintentionally helping to normalize Morocco’s occupation of Western Sahara—a place where Sahrawi voices are often silenced and oppressed.

Festival Director María Carrión added:

“We’re sure that if they understood the full implications… they would be horrified,” 

Who Else Has Spoken Out? 

Oscar winner Javier Bardem, a vocal supporter of the Sahrawi cause and past FiSahara participant, shared his views on Instagram:

“For 50 years, Morocco has occupied Western Sahara, expelling the Sahrawi people from their cities. Dakhla is one of them, converted by the Moroccan occupiers into a tourist destination and now a film set, always to erase the Sahrawi identity of the city. Another illegal occupation, another repression against a people, the Sahrawi, unjustly plundered with the approval of Western governments, including the Spanish. Free Sahara Now (sic)."

Mara Carrin, director of the documentary Sahara, said:

“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, are contributing to Morocco’s repression of the Sahrawi people and to the Moroccan regime’s efforts to normalise its occupation of Western Sahara. We’re sure that if they understood the full implications of filming a high-profile movie 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."

Where Was the Film Shot? 

Nolan reportedly spent four days filming in Dakhla, located in Western Sahara—a region where about 70% is occupied by Morocco. While Morocco claims Dakhla as its own, the UN and Sahrawi independence groups say the area’s political status remains unresolved.

The Odyssey was also filmed in Italy, Greece, and other parts of Morocco.

What Is Morocco Saying? 

Morocco welcomes the production. Reda Benjelloun, director of the Moroccan Cinematographic Center, called Nolan’s shoot in Dakhla “extremely important” and hopes it will bring more international film projects to the area.

Who’s in The Odyssey? 

- Matt Damon as Odysseus
- Tom Holland as Telemachus
- Charlize Theron as Circe
- Zendaya (rumored) as Athena
- Anne Hathaway (rumored) as Penelope
- Robert Pattinson (rumored) as Hermes
- Benny Safdie, Jon Bernthal, and Lupita Nyong’o also star.

What’s Next? 

Nolan has not responded publicly to the criticism. Meanwhile, FiSahara and supporters are calling for an immediate stop to filming in Dakhla and urge Nolan to show solidarity with the Sahrawi people, who have lived under what they call military occupation for decades.

This controversy has sparked an important global discussion about the ethics of filmmaking, colonial history, and cinema’s role in either erasing or uplifting Indigenous identities.