Filmed in Western Sahara, The Odyssey Endorses Colonialism

In the run-up to its theatrical release, Christopher Nolan’s The Odyssey became embroiled in online polemics after Elon Musk attacked the movie’s supposed “woke” casting. Yet beyond this contrived spectacle lies a far more important criticism to be made of the filmmakers: their decision to shoot part of the movie in Africa’s last colony, Western Sahara. Enjoying generous subsidies from the Moroccan state, they lent legitimacy to its illegal occupation regime.

As Nolan and his crew filmed along the coast around the port city of Dakhla last summer, an open letter condemning the move was signed by prominent figures in world cinema, including Javier Bardem, Pedro Almodóvar, and Paul Laverty. “Mr. Nolan filmed there without the consent of the Sahrawi people,” it read, in reference to the majority nationality in Western Sahara. “The only consent he received came from the occupying force: Morocco.”

In particular, Oscar-winning actor Bardem did not hold back. As he posted the letter on his Instagram account, he added: “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 with the aim of erasing the Sahrawi identity of the city.”