With his “Odyssey,” Christopher Nolan delves into the conflict in Western Sahara
Director Christopher Nolan has sparked a diplomatic controversy by choosing the Dakhla region of Western Sahara to film part of his next blockbuster. While Morocco welcomes the move, the Polisario Front, which also claims control over the disputed territory, has accused the director of “violating international law.”
“Southern Morocco continues to attract major foreign directors,” says Aujourd'hui le Maroc . At the end of July, British-American director Christopher Nolan began filming part of his next blockbuster, The Odyssey , in the Dakhla region.
“After filming in Ouarzazate, notably at the ksar of Aït-Ben-Haddou, then in Italy ,” the daily continues, “the production team set up its cameras in this emblematic area of the Moroccan Sahara, attractive for its contrasting natural landscapes, between immaculate white sand, panoramic lagoon and exceptional biodiversity.”
“Scenes are being filmed at the White Dune, about 30 kilometers from the southern city,” announced the Moroccan website Lebrief.ma on July 22 , adding that “several Hollywood figures have been invited to Dakhla alongside the Oppenheimer director , including Matt Damon in the role of Ulysses, Zendaya and Charlize Theron.”
Beyond its landscapes, the choice of such a setting is not insignificant: Dakhla is located in the territory of Western Sahara, claimed by both Morocco – with the support of France, the United States and the United Kingdom in particular – and the separatists of the Polisario Front, as part of a conflict that has lasted for half a century.
Courrier International
