Sahara International Film Festival Urges Christopher Nolan to Exclude Western Sahara Footage from Upcoming Film

The Sahara International Film Festival (FiSahara) has publicly called on filmmaker Christopher Nolan to omit scenes shot in Western Sahara from his forthcoming film, due to the sensitive political status of the region. Western Sahara, a former Spanish colony, has been mostly administered by Morocco since 1975 but remains classified by the United Nations as a non-self-governing territory. The sovereignty dispute involves Morocco and the Algerian-supported Polisario Front, which advocates for Sahrawi independence.

Maria Carrion, executive director of FiSahara, which hosts its events in Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria, criticized Nolan's decision to film near Dakhla, on the Western Sahara coast. She stated, "We are urging Nolan to stand in solidarity with the Sahrawi people. Shooting in this occupied territory legitimizes the occupation and perpetuates colonialism."

Reportedly, Nolan filmed scenes for his 2026 release, The Odyssey, starring Matt Damon and Zendaya, in this disputed area. Carrion emphasized that there were many other locations with sand dunes that could have been chosen, saying, "Filming on a sand dune in occupied territory furthers colonialism in Western Sahara."

Representing Morocco, Culture Minister Mehdi Bensaid expressed optimism, attributing the production to enhancing Dakhla’s reputation "as a filming destination, not just a tourist spot." However, Carrion countered these remarks by highlighting that Nolan did not acquire consent from Sahrawi representatives but only from Morocco, which FiSahara deems as an occupying power. "Real consent requires the involvement of the Sahrawi people, not the occupier," she added.

FiSahara also suggested that Nolan and his crew may have been inadequately informed regarding the region’s contested nature. The Western Sahara conflict remains unresolved decades after Morocco's annexation, with the Polisario Front insisting on a referendum for self-determination. Notably, in 2020, the United States endorsed Morocco’s autonomy proposal amid Rabat’s normalization of relations with Israel, complicating the diplomatic landscape further.