Adala UK has sent a formal letter to the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS), raising serious concerns over the filming of the upcoming Hollywood production The Odyssey in Dakhla, a city located in occupied Western Sahara.

The letter highlights that Western Sahara remains a non-self-governing territory under international law, and that the United Kingdom does not recognize it Moroccan sovereignty over the region. Filming in Dakhla without the consent of the Saharawi people, and without acknowledging the territory’s disputed legal status, risks legitimising the ongoing illegal occupation and undermines the Saharawi people’s right to self-determination.

In its letter, Adala UK called on the UK Government and relevant institutions including the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC), UK cinemas, film distributors, and public broadcasters to refrain from screening or promoting The Odyssey within the United Kingdom unless the filmmakers publicly address and rectify the legal and ethical implications of filming in an occupied territory.

The letter also references the recent response from the UK Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) to Adala UK, which reaffirmed the UK’s support for a negotiated settlement under UN auspices and the right of the Saharawi people to self-determination.

Adala UK remains committed to ensuring that international law is respected and that cultural and commercial activities do not contribute to the normalization or legitimisation of unlawful occupation and documented human rights abuses in Western Sahara.

read the full letter: here

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