Latest news with #North Africa
Yahoo
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Christopher Nolan ‘enabling colonialism by filming in Western Sahara'
Christopher Nolan has been accused of enabling colonialism by filming in Western Sahara. The 54-year-old British-American director is shooting parts of The Odyssey in Dakhla, in the disputed territory. The recreation of Homer's epic poem features Matt Damon, as the Greek hero Odysseus, as well as the Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong'o. Filming took place in Dakhla this month. Scenes had already been shot in Essaouira, Marrakesh and Ouarzazate, in Morocco, as well as in Greece and Scotland. The North African state has long been a favourite filming destination for Hollywood directors. Lawrence of Arabia and Ridley Scott's Gladiator movies were shot there. Western Sahara has been claimed and occupied by Morocco since Spain gave up control of the territory in the 1970s. The decision to film in the disputed territory has prompted the Polisario Front, which claims to represent its indigenous inhabitants, to accuse the director of 'a clear violation of international law and ethical standards governing cultural and artistic work'. The organisers of the Sahara International Film Festival, which takes place in Polisario-controlled Sahrawi camps in Algeria, told The Times that Dakhla was 'not just a beautiful location with cinematic sand dunes' as they urged Nolan to stop filming in Western Sahara. They said: 'Primarily, it is an occupied, militarised city whose indigenous Sahrawi population is subject to brutal repression by occupying Moroccan forces.' María Carrión, the festival's director, said: 'By filming part of The Odyssey in an occupied territory billed as a 'news black hole' by Reporters without Borders, Nolan and his team, perhaps unknowingly and unwillingly, are contributing to the repression of the Sahrawi people by Morocco, and to the Moroccan regime's efforts to normalise its occupation of Western Sahara. 'We are sure that were they to understand the full implications of filming such a high-profile film in a territory whose indigenous peoples are unable to make their own films about their stories under occupation, Nolan and his team would be horrified.' Last month, Britain backed Morocco's claim to the territory after having refused to back either side for decades. It comes after Morocco won the backing of the United States, France, Spain and Portugal for its continued occupation of the largely desert territory. The Polisario Front abandoned a ceasefire with Morocco in 2020. Nolan and his film company Syncopy were contacted for comment by The Times. 'This is a production that is extremely important for Morocco,' Reda Benjelloun, who heads the Moroccan government agency in charge of promoting the film industry, previously told Bloomberg. 'It's the first major Hollywood production to choose the southern provinces.' Broaden your horizons with award-winning British journalism. Try The Telegraph free for 1 month with unlimited access to our award-winning website, exclusive app, money-saving offers and more. Solve the daily Crossword
Telegraph
a day ago
- Entertainment
- Telegraph
Christopher Nolan ‘enabling colonialism by filming in Western Sahara'
Christopher Nolan has been accused of enabling colonialism by filming in Western Sahara. The 54-year-old British-American director is shooting parts of The Odyssey in Dakhla, in the disputed territory. The recreation of Homer's epic poem features Matt Damon, as the Greek hero Odysseus, as well as the Oscar winners Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong'o. Filming took place in Dakhla this month. Scenes had already been shot in Essaouira, Marrakesh and Ouarzazate, in Morocco, as well as in Greece and Scotland. The North African state has long been a favourite filming destination for Hollywood directors. Lawrence of Arabia and Ridley Scott's Gladiator movies were shot there. Western Sahara has been claimed and occupied by Morocco since Spain gave up control of the territory in the 1970s. The decision to film in the disputed territory has prompted the Polisario Front, which claims to represent its indigenous inhabitants, to accuse the director of 'a clear violation of international law and ethical standards governing cultural and artistic work'. The organisers of the Sahara International Film Festival, which takes place in Polisario-controlled Sahrawi camps in Algeria, told The Times that Dakhla was 'not just a beautiful location with cinematic sand dunes' as they urged Nolan to stop filming in Western Sahara. They said: 'Primarily, it is an occupied, militarised city whose indigenous Sahrawi population is subject to brutal repression by occupying Moroccan forces.' María Carrión, the festival's director, said: 'By filming part of The Odyssey in an occupied territory billed as a 'news black hole' by Reporters without Borders, Nolan and his team, perhaps unknowingly and unwillingly, are contributing to the repression of the Sahrawi people by Morocco, and to the Moroccan regime's efforts to normalise its occupation of Western Sahara. 'We are sure that were they to understand the full implications of filming such a high-profile film in a territory whose indigenous peoples are unable to make their own films about their stories under occupation, Nolan and his team would be horrified.' Last month, Britain backed Morocco's claim to the territory after having refused to back either side for decades. It comes after Morocco won the backing of the United States, France, Spain and Portugal for its continued occupation of the largely desert territory. The Polisario Front abandoned a ceasefire with Morocco in 2020. Nolan and his film company Syncopy were contacted for comment by The Times. 'This is a production that is extremely important for Morocco,' Reda Benjelloun, who heads the Moroccan government agency in charge of promoting the film industry, previously told Bloomberg. 'It's the first major Hollywood production to choose the southern provinces.'
Al Jazeera
4 days ago
- Politics
- Al Jazeera
Tunisia an ‘open-air prison', say protesters at anti-President Saied march
Hundreds of Tunisian activists have protested against President Kais Saied, calling his rule since 2021 an 'authoritarian regime' that has turned the country into an 'open-air prison'. The protesters marched in capital Tunis on Friday, marking four years since Saied made moves to consolidate his one-man rule in a country once known as the birthplace of the Arab Spring pro-democracy uprisings. Chanting the slogan, 'The Republic is a large prison,' they demanded the release of jailed opposition leaders, including Rached Ghannouchi, head of Ennahdha, the self-styled 'Muslim Democrat' party, and Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party. They are among dozens of politicians, lawyers, activists and journalists facing lengthy prison sentences under anti-terrorism and conspiracy laws. Others have fled the country, seeking asylum in Western countries. On July 25, 2021, Saied suspended parliament, dismissed his prime minister and invoked a state of emergency to begin ruling by decree, ordering mass arrests and politically motivated trials to silence dissent. Though some cheered his efforts, critics called the moves a coup and said the events marked the beginning of Tunisia's descent towards authoritarianism. Protesters also chanted slogans such as 'No fear, no terror … streets belong to the people' and 'The people want the fall of the regime' as they carried portraits of political prisoners and a cage that organisers said represented the state of political life in Tunisia. 'Our first aim is to battle against tyranny to restore the democracy and to demand the release of the political detainees,' Monia Ibrahim, wife of imprisoned politician Abdelhamid Jelassi, told the Reuters news agency. Prisons are 'crowded' with Saied's opponents, activists, and journalists, said Saib Souab, son of Ahmed Souab, the imprisoned lawyer who is a critical voice of Saied. 'Tunisia has turned into an open-air prison … Even those not behind bars live in a state of temporary freedom, constantly at risk of arrest for any reason,' he told Reuters. In 2022, Saied also dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council and sacked dozens of judges, a move the opposition said was aimed to cement the one-man rule. Saied said he does not interfere in the judiciary, but no one is above accountability, regardless of their name or position. In 2023, Saied said the politicians were 'traitors and terrorists' and that judges who would acquit them were their accomplices. July 25 also marks the anniversary of Tunisia's declaration as a republic in 1957. It later became the rallying cry of the pro-Saied 'July 25 Movement', which pushed for a crackdown on the country's largely unpopular political class. Samir Dilou, a former government minister and member of Ennahdha, said Saied had forever changed the day's meaning. 'July 25 used to mark the Republic's founding. Now, it marks its dismantling. Absolute power is absolute corruption,' he said.
Arab News
4 days ago
- Politics
- Arab News
Tunisians protest aginst President Saied, call country an ‘open-air prison'
TUNIS: Hundreds of Tunisian activists protested in the capital on Friday against President Kais Saied, denouncing his rule as an 'authoritarian regime' that has turned the country into an 'open-air prison'. Under the slogan 'The Republic is a large prison,' protesters marched along Habib Bourguiba Avenue. They demanded the release of jailed opposition leaders, journalists, and activists. The protest marked the fourth anniversary of Saied's power grab. In 2021, he dissolved the elected parliament and started ruling by decree, a move the opposition called a coup. They chanted slogans such as 'no fear, no terror ... streets belong to the people' and 'The people want the fall of the regime'. The protesters said Tunisia under Saied has descended into authoritarianism, with mass arrests and politically motivated trials silencing dissent. 'Our first aim is to battle against tyranny to restore the democracy and to demand the release of the political detainees,' Monia Ibrahim, wife of imprisoned politician Abdelhamid Jelassi, told Reuters. In 2022, Saied dissolved the independent Supreme Judicial Council and sacked dozens of judges, a move the opposition said was aimed to cement one-man rule. Saied said he does not interfere in the judiciary, but no one is above accountability, regardless of their name or position. Most prominent opposition leaders are in prison, including Rached Ghannouchi, head of the Islamist Ennahda party, and Abir Moussi, leader of the Free Constitutional Party. They are among dozens of politicians, lawyers, and journalists facing lengthy prison sentences under anti-terrorism and conspiracy laws. Others have fled the country, seeking asylum in Western countries. In 2023, Saied said the politicians were 'traitors and terrorists' and that judges who would acquit them were their accomplices. 'Prisons are crowded with Saied's opponents, activists, journalists,' said Saib Souab, son of Ahmed Souab, the imprisoned lawyer Ahmed Souab who is a critical voice of Saied. 'Tunisia has turned into an open-air prison. ... Even those not behind bars live in a state of temporary freedom, constantly at risk of arrest for any reason.,' he added.
Zawya
7 days ago
- Business
- Zawya
Algeria to build two green cement plants
Algeria has launched a project to build two new low-carbon green cement plants with a combined capacity of 3.5 million tonnes per year as part of a drive to expand eco-friendly industries in construction and other sectors. The North African OPEC producer is also expanding an existing cement plant in the Northern Djelfa city by around 1.5 million tonnes of green cement. The new projects will boost the gas-rich country's cement capacity to a record high of around 42 million tonnes per year. Algeria's press reported on Monday that the country's actual cement demand is around 30 million tonnes per year, allowing it to export a surplus of nearly 12 million tonnes. Algerian Minister of Industry Sifi Ghrieb announced on Monday the launching of the two new green cement projects in Djelfa and Relizane in Central Algeria. He said the two plants have an output capacity of around 1.5 million and two million tonnes per year respectively while another nearby cement plant would be expanded by a green cement production line with a capacity of 1.5 million tonnes. 'The Minister also announced plans to create a national green cement production council to promote such industries,' Elkhabar and other local newspapers said. Ghrieb did not mention details of these projects nor did he identify the contractor but in March he had discussed plans to expand Djelfa plant with a delegation from the China State Construction Engineering Corporation (CSCEC). Algeria, one of the world's largest gas exporters, is actively involved in the production and promotion of green cement, an eco-friendly alternative to traditional cement, with a focus on reducing carbon emissions and promoting sustainable construction. Companies like Lafarge Algeria are leading the way in this transition, developing reduced-CO2 cement and investing in projects that utilise industrial byproducts for cement production. A new green cement plant, a partnership between Algerian, Emirati, and Indian entities, is under construction in the Northern El Milia city, according to local reports. The plant will utilise slag and fly ash from a nearby power station and steel complex, and it will have a capacity of two million tonnes per year. (Writing by Nadim Kawach; Editing by Anoop Menon)
