{"id":6126,"date":"2025-10-11T20:21:40","date_gmt":"2025-10-11T20:21:40","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/?p=6126"},"modified":"2025-10-11T21:09:24","modified_gmt":"2025-10-11T21:09:24","slug":"adala-uk-pressures-uk-ministry-to-state-western-sahara-is-not-moroccan-britain-denies-support-for-the-odyssey","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/?p=6126","title":{"rendered":"UK Government Replies to Adala UK: \u201cThe Odyssey\u201d Filmed in Occupied Western Sahara Receives No British Support"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

London, <\/strong>Adala UK welcomes the recent response from the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) regarding concerns raised by the organisation over the filming of The Odyssey<\/em>, a major Hollywood production that included scenes shot in Dakhla, a city located in the occupied territory of Western Sahara.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In July, Adala UK submitted a formal objection<\/strong><\/a> to the DCMS expressing deep concern about the production of The Odyssey<\/em> by director Christopher Nolan. The organisation highlighted that filming in occupied Western Sahara, without the consent of the Sahrawi people or acknowledgment of the territory\u2019s disputed status, risks legitimising Morocco\u2019s unlawful occupation in violation of international law and United Nations resolutions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In its official reply 3th of October, the DCMS confirmed that The Odyssey<\/em> \u201cdid not receive any direct support or public funding from the government or from the British Film Institute (BFI) as an arm\u2019s length body.\u201d This assurance addresses one of Adala UK\u2019s principal concerns that no UK public funds have supported a production filmed in a non-self-governing territory under occupation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Crucially, the DCMS response reaffirms the position of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO)<\/strong>, stating that the UK Government \u201cremains firmly committed to supporting a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable solution to the conflict in Western Sahara,\u201d consistent with international law and UN-led mediation efforts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The letter also underscores the UK\u2019s ongoing support for the\u00a0rules-based international order<\/strong>, principles that form the foundation of the UK\u2019s foreign policy towards Western Sahara. While the DCMS emphasised that the government does not intervene in private commercial decisions such as film production locations, it stressed that all companies are expected to adhere to the\u00a0UN Guiding Principles on Business and Human Rights<\/strong>, which outline corporate responsibility to respect human rights in their operations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Adala UK views this statement as a reaffirmation of the UK\u2019s non-recognition of Moroccan sovereignty over Western Sahara<\/strong> and its commitment to international legality<\/strong>. By confirming that the government did not provide any form of support or endorsement to the film, the response ensures that UK institutions remain aligned with international law and the rights of the Sahrawi people.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

While the DCMS clarified that it would not seek to prevent the classification or screening of the film in the UK, Adala UK reiterates that cultural productions filmed in occupied territories carry serious ethical implications and risk normalising illegal occupations. The organisation continues to urge filmmakers, studios, and distributors to respect international law and avoid contributing to the perpetuation of human rights violations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\n

\u201cWe appreciate the UK Government\u2019s clear position reaffirming its support for international law and the right to self-determination for the Sahrawi people,\u201d said Sidi Ahmed Lyadasi chair of Adala UK. \u201cThis response confirms that no British public funding was involved and that the UK continues to recognise the distinct and disputed status of Western Sahara under international law.\u201d<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n

Adala UK remains committed to engaging constructively with UK authorities and international partners to ensure that human rights and international legal standards are upheld in all cultural and economic activities relating to Western Sahara.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

London, Adala UK welcomes the recent response from the UK Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport (DCMS) regarding concerns raised by the organisation over the filming of The Odyssey, a major Hollywood production that included scenes shot in Dakhla, a city located in the occupied territory of Western Sahara. In July, Adala UK submitted a formal objection to the DCMS expressing deep concern about the production of The Odyssey by director Christopher Nolan. The organisation highlighted that filming in occupied Western Sahara, without the consent of the Sahrawi people or acknowledgment of the territory\u2019s disputed status, risks legitimising Morocco\u2019s unlawful occupation in violation of international law and United Nations resolutions. In its official reply 3th of October, the DCMS confirmed that The Odyssey \u201cdid not receive any direct support or public funding from the government or from the British Film Institute (BFI) as an arm\u2019s length body.\u201d This assurance addresses one of Adala UK\u2019s principal concerns that no UK public funds have supported a production filmed in a non-self-governing territory under occupation. Crucially, the DCMS response reaffirms the position of the Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO), stating that the UK Government \u201cremains firmly committed to supporting a just, lasting, and mutually acceptable solution to […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":6127,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[93,1,95],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6126"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6126"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6126\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":6131,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6126\/revisions\/6131"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/media\/6127"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6126"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6126"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/adalauk.org\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6126"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}