The Odyssey and the Politics of Filming in Western Sahara

• Christopher Nolan’s production of The Odyssey has drawn criticism for filming in Western Sahara, a disputed territory under Moroccan occupation.
• Sahrawi activists and international figures, including Javier Bardem, argue that filming there without the consent of the indigenous Sahrawi people legitimizes Morocco’s illegal occupation.
• Western Sahara remains on the UN list of territories awaiting decolonization, with 173,000 Sahrawis living in long-term refugee camps in Algeria.

Geopolitical Context and Economic Normalization

• Morocco occupies the territory and has actively used infrastructure projects, such as the Atlantic Initiative and a new port in Dakhla, to integrate the region into its economy and discourage independence movements.
• The normalization of ties with Israel in 2020, supported by the US under Donald Trump, shifted international dynamics regarding Western Sahara’s sovereignty.
• Tourism and commercial efforts, such as Ryanair flight routes to Dakhla and El Aaiún, are described by critics as tools to normalize Moroccan control.

Human Rights Concerns

• Sahrawi activists, filmmakers, and journalists report systematic repression, arbitrary detention, and torture, contrasting the creative freedom afforded to Western film crews with the restricted rights of local populations.
• Recent UN reports and human rights groups, such as CODESA and Frontline Defenders, have highlighted illegal detentions, the violent suppression of peaceful protests, and the medical neglect of prisoners like Enaâma Asfari.
• The European Union’s highest court has repeatedly ruled that Western Sahara holds a "separate and distinct" status from Morocco, asserting that resources cannot be exploited without the consent of the Sahrawi people.

Implication for Filmmaking

• Critics frame The Odyssey as a case of "occupation cinema," arguing that major studios should not treat occupied lands as legitimate backdrops for commercial production, noting the direct parallels some draw to filming in occupied Ukraine or illegal settlements in Palestine.