For all the hype and promotion and raving reviews and learned commentary that have accompanied the release of the new film, The Odyssey, it is worth knowing that parts of the film were shot in Western Sahara, which is a country occupied by Morocco where the native Sahrawis are not allowed to use a camera, let alone make a film.
There were protests from Sahrawis a year ago when the film was being made, but the film-makers went ahead anyway, filming scenes that are supposed to have taken place in ancient Greece in Moroccan-occupied Western Sahara.
And it seems that, like so many horrible things in the world today, this example of “occupation cinema” emanates from the mastermind in the White House.
So I think I’ll skip this one and join the boycott that has been announced.
https://www.democracynow.org/2026/7/17/the_odyssey.
If you want to see a good movie about war and journeys and love and adventure, may I suggest that you see Casablanca instead. We have both a regular dvd and blu-ray version on sale at the shop. I just saw it again with my teen-aged grandchildren and am amazed at how well it holds up after all these years (and so many viewings). And in case you haven’t seen it or even if you have it is worth knowing that it takes place in unoccupied (by the Nazis) French Morocco but was filmed in California and Arizona.
