India, July 31 -- O scar-winning filmmaker Christopher Nolan is under scrutiny for shooting parts of his upcoming film The Odyssey in Western Sahara, a disputed territory of which nearly 70% is occupied by Morocco, Variety has reported. The film, which features an ensemble cast including Matt Damon (inset picture), Tom Holland, Anne Hathaway and Zendaya, recently completed a four-day shoot in the city of Dakhla. Located in the Moroccan-administered Dakhla-Oued Ed-Dahab region, Dakhla has become a flashpoint for criticism over its contested status. Western Sahara is designated as a "non-self-governing territory" by the United Nations and is considered the last remaining African colony yet to achieve full independence. The region is home to the Indigenous Sahrawi people, many of whom seek sovereignty from Moroccan control. While Morocco has proposed an autonomy plan, comparable to Spain's relationship with the Canary Islands, granting local governance under its ultimate sovereignty, the plan has drawn mixed reactions. The US, UK, and France have expressed support for the proposal in recent years, according to Variety. Following the production's departure from Dakhla, the Western Sahara International Film Festival (FiSahara), which operates from Sahrawi refugee camps in Algeria, issued a statement calling on Nolan to cease filming in the region. "Dakhla is not just a beautiful place with cinematic sand dunes. First and foremost, it is an occupied and militarised city whose Indigenous Sahrawi population is subjected to brutal repression by the Moroccan occupation forces," the statement read. FiSahara urged the director to "stand in solidarity with the Sahrawi people who have been under military occupation for 50 years and who are routinely imprisoned and tortured for their peaceful struggle for self-determination." In contrast, Reda Benjelloun of Morocco's Cinematographic Centre defended the production. HTC...