Western Sahara has been disputed since the Spanish colonial power left the region in the 1970s. Both Morocco and the Western Saharan independence movement Polisario make claims to the area.
Among the critics of the recording are parts of the Western Saharan population who believe that the filming normalizes long-standing Moroccan oppression. A local film festival also opposes the choice of filming location.
The film is an adaptation of Homer's Odyssey with, among others, Matt Damon, Zendaya, and Anne Hathaway in the cast. According to the festival, the star-studded presence will contribute to legitimizing the Moroccan occupation.
By filming in an occupied territory, Nolan and his team, perhaps unintentionally, contribute to Morocco's oppression of the Western Saharan people, a spokesperson for the festival tells The Guardian.
Christopher Nolan has not yet commented on the matter.
