Kristopher Nolan face backlash to film ‘The Odissi’ in Western Sahara

Christopher Nolan’s upcoming historical epic Odissi After the investigation after those reports, a city located in Western Sahara, part of the film is part of the film in Dakhla – a region occupied by Morocco. The region has been classified by the United Nations as “non-late-going”, and has long been the subject of a regional dispute between the Morocco and indigenous co-operatives.

Nolan, who spent four days filming in Dakhla, has been criticized by human rights groups and cultural advocates to unknowingly align with the ongoing control of the Moroccan region. Western Sahara International Film Festival (Fisahara), which exits the Saharavi refugee camps in Algeria, issued a public appeal to prevent Nololan to prevent any further production activities in Dakhla and described as “military business”.

“Dakhala is not just a beautiful place with cinematic sand dunes,” read the statement of Fisahara. “It is an occupied and military city, under which indigenous sahravi population is under brutal repression.” The festival urged Nolan’s team to reconsider their participation in the form of cultural generalization of an unresolved colonial status.

Festival director Maria Carione said that by filming in an area where the voice of the local Saharavi is systematically silent, Nolan and his crew can unknowingly complicate inadvertently suppressing stories that Saharvi are unable to tell. “We are sure if they understand the complete implications … then they will be frightened,” he said.

Actor Xavier Bardem, who has previously supported the sahravi cause, raised the message of slipping on social media, focused on the elimination of safety identity and Western governments play a broad role in supporting Moroccan’s business.

Meanwhile, Moroccan’s Cinematographic Center has welcomed the project, director Redda Benzeloon called shooting in Dakhla as “extremely important” and hoping that it will promote future foreign filmmaking in the region.

OdissiStarring Matt Demon, Zendya, Anne Hathaway and Tom Holland, on 17 July, 2026, is slapped for a global release. It is also shot in other parts of Italy, Greece and Morocco. Universal Pictures is distributing the film.