Overview

• Filming in Dakhla, a coastal city under Moroccan control for 50 years, began in mid-July and remains ongoing.
• FiSahara, the Polisario Front, Amnesty International and the UN rights office say the production legitimizes Moroccan occupation and repression of indigenous Sahrawis.
• The Moroccan Cinematographic Center has hailed Nolan’s shoot as an unprecedented opportunity to showcase the region’s film potential.
• Western Sahara is classified by the UN as a non-self-governing territory, with 70% occupied by Morocco since Spain’s withdrawal in 1976.
• The Odyssey is a $250 million Universal epic shot with new IMAX technology and scheduled for release on July 17, 2026.