Christopher nolan Faces Criticism Over filming Plans in Western Sahara
Filmmaker Christopher Nolan is facing criticism from the FiSahara film festival over potential filming plans in Western Sahara, a territory occupied by Morocco.The festival, which advocates for the Sahrawi people, has urged nolan and his team too reconsider their involvement, citing Morocco’s alleged repression and efforts to normalize it’s occupation of the region.
María Carrión, FiSahara’s executive director, stated that the festival believes Nolan and his crew would be “horrified” if they fully understood the implications of filming in a territory where the Indigenous people are unable to create their own films about their experiences under occupation. FiSahara is calling for solidarity with the Sahrawi people, who have endured 50 years of military occupation and face imprisonment and torture for their peaceful struggle for self-determination.
Carrión further explained that Morocco actively seeks to control international perceptions of its occupation by utilizing tourism and culture to present a misleading image of Western Sahara. She asserted that Morocco grants access to occupied Western Sahara primarily to those who align with its strategy of promoting its occupation, including tourists visiting Moroccan-owned resorts, companies involved in resource exploitation, compliant journalists, and high-profile visitors like Nolan, whose presence helps bolster the narrative that western Sahara is an integral part of Morocco and that the Sahrawi population is content with Moroccan rule.
In contrast to Morocco’s portrayal, Carrión pointed to reports from Amnesty International, the UN commissioner for human rights, and numerous journalists and observers who have been denied entry or deported from the territory, suggesting thes sources would offer a “very different story.” The Guardian has reached out to Nolan’s representatives for a comment, but none has been received to date.
FiSahara, established in 2004, is held annually in Sahrawi refugee camps located in the Algerian desert. Often referred to as “the Cannes of the desert,” the festival utilizes film as a medium to entertain, educate, and empower refugees from Western Sahara.
