Latest news with #colonialism
Daily Mail
16 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Dark Knight director Christopher Nolan is accused of 'enabling colonialism' as new film shot in war-torn Western Sahara
Christopher Nolan has been accused of 'enabling colonialism' after filming in a highly disputed part of Western Sahara. The Dark Knight director, 54, has been shooting scenes for his new movie The Odyssey in the disputed area of Dakhla. Filming for his recreation of Homer's epic poem, starring Matt Damon, Charlize Theron and Lupita Nyong'o, took place this month with actors snapped on set. Other scenes have also been shot in the Moroccan cities of Essaouira, Marrakesh and Ouarzazate, as well as Greece and Scotland, with other members of the star-studded cast seen on set, including Tom Holland and Zendaya. However, it was the crews time in the small city of Dakhla that angered the Polisario Front, a liberation movement which claims to represent its indigenous inhabitants. Western Sahara has been occupied by Morocco since the 1970s when Spain gave up control of the territory, but the Polisario Front continue to seek independence for the region. Nolan's decision to film in Dakhla has prompted the Polisario Front to accuse him of 'a clear violation of international law and ethical standards governing cultural and artistic work'. 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'. They added: 'Primarily, it is an occupied, militarised city whose indigenous Sahrawi population is subject to brutal repression by occupying Moroccan forces.' Festival Director María Carrión 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.' The UN and most countries do not recognise Morocco's sovereignty over Western Sahara, viewing it as a disputed territory. Meanwhile, Britain last week backed Morocco's claim on the mostly desert land having refused to take a side for decades. Morocco also previously won the backing of the US, France, Spain and Portugal for its occupation. In March, film crews were also spotted in the Moroccan village of Aït Benhaddou as cast members and extras flooded the area, including Christopher Nolan himself. The ancient Moroccan region is no stranger to A-listers and has also featured in the likes of Gladiator II and Game Of Thrones. On December 26, The InSneider reported that The Odyssey will have a $250M budget, making it 'the most expensive film' of 54-year-old Nolan's career. Oscar winner Anne Hathaway is rumored to be playing Odysseus' wife, Queen of Ithica Penelope, whom he's eager to reunite with following a perilous journey back home. Rumour has it that Tom Holland - whose famous fiancée Zendaya also plays a mystery role - will take on the part of Odysseus' son Telemachus. And Oscar winner Charlize Theron is said to be playing the witch goddess Circe in the 3K-year-old fantastical tale full of sirens and a cyclops. The cast of high-profile actors also includes Robert Pattinson, Jon Bernthal, Benny Safdie, John Leguizamo, Elliot Page, Samantha Morton, Will Yun Lee, and Mia Goth. The Odyssey was last memorably adapted for the silver screen by the Coen Brothers in their 2000 satirical musical O Brother, Where Art Thou? starring George Clooney.
The Guardian
16 hours ago
- Politics
- The Guardian
‘Lumumba everlasting': Belgium marks Congo's slain leader's 100th birthday with exhibition
If he had lived, Patrice Lumumba, the first prime minister of the Democratic Republic of the Congo, would have marked his 100th birthday this month (on 2 July). This unreached milestone is being marked by an exhibition in Brussels at a time when Belgium, the former colonial power, is facing renewed questions about his death. Lumumba was 35 when he was overthrown during a political crisis, then tortured and assassinated by a firing squad in January 1961, along with two associates, Joseph Okito and Maurice Mpolo. Nearly 65 years after the murders, which were carried out by Congolese rivals with the support of Belgian officers, Lumumba's family are still searching for answers. In an unexpected development in June, Belgium's federal prosecutor referred a 92-year-old former diplomat, Étienne Davignon, to the Brussels criminal court over alleged war crimes related to the killings. Davignon, who was dispatched to Congo as a 28-year-old diplomatic intern on the eve of independence in 1960, is the only survivor among 10 former officials accused by the Lumumba family in 2011 of involvement in his assassination. The charges relate to Lumumba's unlawful detention, his denial of a fair trial and 'humiliating and degrading treatment', although a charge of intent to kill has been dismissed. Davignon has denied all claims of involvement. Christophe Marchand, a lawyer for the Lumumba family, said: 'The idea is to have a judicial trial and to have the truth about what happened, not only the role of Étienne Davignon – because he was one part in the whole criminal plan.' Lumumba was a charismatic champion of Congolese independence who made some disastrous decisions during his short-lived premiership. One historian has described his assassination as Congo's 'original sin' that shattered hopes of unity and prosperity in the newly independent country. In 2001 a parliamentary inquiry concluded that Belgian ministers bore a moral responsibility for the events that led to the Congolese leader's gruesome death. Marchand said the parliamentary inquiry had made clear that 'Belgian civil servants took an active part in the transfer of Lumumba from Léopoldville (Kinshasa) to Katanga', where he was murdered. Although the lawyer thought the investigation should have begun earlier, he considered it very significant that Belgium's highest prosecutor had now concluded there was enough evidence for a trial. 'There are very few cases where a former colonial state agrees to address colonial crimes and to consider that they have to be tried … even if it's a very long time after,' Marchand said. A hearing has been scheduled for January 2026, when a judge will decide if a trial should go ahead. Davignon has rejected the case as 'absurd'. The aristocrat is a scion of the Belgian establishment, a former vice-president of the European Commission, who has been involved in numerous Belgian blue chip companies. Sign up to The Long Wave Nesrine Malik and Jason Okundaye deliver your weekly dose of Black life and culture from around the world after newsletter promotion Speaking to SudInfo this July, Davignon said he had been questioned by the earlier parliamentary inquiry 'where it was found that I had no direct or indirect responsibility for what happened to Lumumba'. He accused the prosecution of being overzealous and 'having gone into things a bit blindly'. Belgium's foreign ministry said it was not able to comment out of respect for the separation of powers, while noting that it was not implicated in the prosecutor's dossier. Nancy Mariam Kawaya, a coordinator at the Congolese Cultural Centre, which is hosting the Lumumba centenary exhibition, said: 'The murder needs to be judged so Belgium can be at peace with the story, so the Congolese can be at peace with the story and we can write a new chapter. 'I want to trust that justice will do its work now,' she added. The exhibition, she said, sought to widen the focus beyond Lumumba's death. The subject of his violent end 'takes so much space' that 'we don't realise that people don't know who he was, his ideas … What was actually his fight?' The small exhibition of paintings by Congolese artists at the cultural centre seeks to fill that gap. One artist imagines an idealised centenarian Lumumba, with cropped grey-white hair, gazing enigmatically into the distance. There are more unsettling works. Another painting depicts modern-day Kinshasa as an unpopulated metropolis of skyscrapers and soup of rubbish, reflecting the scourge of modern-day plastic pollution in the Congolese capital. In another work Lumumba, crowned with a halo, sits on a plastic chair in a rubbish dump as two shoeless young boys stretch out their hands. One of the boys, his hands dripping in blood, is holding a smartphone – a bleak reference to the minerals used to power the world's devices that have fuelled years of conflict in the DRC. Opened in 2023 by the city of Brussels, the Congolese Cultural Centre is part of efforts to turn the page on Belgium's fraught relationship with its former colonies. The exhibition, which runs until 30 July, is entitled Lumumba Sans Temps, a play on words. Sans temps (without time, or everlasting) sounds like 100 years (cent ans) in French and is intended to underline the timelessness, say organisers, of Lumumba's message of unity, rather than division along religious or ethnic lines. 'Lumumba remains our contemporary,' contends Dady Mbumba, the exhibition's curator. 'Lumumba fought for liberty, for equality, for unity,' he said, stressing the importance of the latter after decades of conflict in the DRC. Mbumba, who was born in Congo and lives in Belgium, wants better knowledge of Lumumba's life and the colonial past in both countries. 'It is a history that we share … although difficult and painful.'
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.'
Times
a day ago
- Politics
- Times
Edinburgh University has no need to apologise for sins of the past
The speed with which Edinburgh University's vice-chancellor Peter Mathieson has moved to issue a 'deep apology' for the university's colonial past and its links with slavery is predictable, but misguided. It was prompted by a race review which, for the past four years has been investigating the role played by the university and some of its most celebrated thinkers, reaching back to the 18th-century Enlightenment, in promoting 'racist ideas' and 'the advancement of colonialism'. Its conclusions are extreme. It argues that Edinburgh was 'a haven for professors and alumni who developed theories of racial inferiority and white supremacism'. It played 'an outsized role in developing pseudo-sciences … that habitually positioned black people at the bottom and white people at the top.' It accuses the university's sometime chancellor, and later foreign secretary, AJ Balfour, of being a racist, and blames his 1948 declaration, creating the state of Israel, for the 'historical harms' that have led to the present Middle East conflict; it goes on to recommend the university ceases 'its direct and indirect investments that are supporting the Israeli government's human rights and international law violations against Palestinian people today'. • Edinburgh University apologises for historic links to racist theories Most contentious of all, it proposes the university should drop the internationally accepted definition of antisemitism, on the grounds it prevents free discussion of Palestinian rights. This is dangerous territory. It goes well beyond the review's remit in examining the university's past links to colonialism, and suggests it should adopt a pro-Palestinian stance. By accepting the review and its recommendations, Mathieson is pitching the university into the centre of a political maelstrom. Across the western world, universities have been striving to maintain an equilibrium between those who demonstrate for Palestinian rights, and Jewish students exposed to antisemitism; in America, Harvard University and others are fighting for their very future as Donald Trump accuses them of supporting anti-Israel protesters and therefore inciting terrorism. If Edinburgh goes along with the recommendations of this review, on the grounds that a long-dead chancellor was responsible for what the review calls 'Israel's war of annihilation in Gaza', it will surrender any claim of independence at a time when establishing peace depends on diplomacy not defiance. Taking sides at a time when feelings run so high is the last thing a university should be doing. From the start, however, the review makes it abundantly clear that balance is not a priority. It says its aim is 'to shine a light on some of the darker aspects of university history', and in doing so it discounts the civilising aspects of Enlightenment thinkers such as David Hume and Adam Ferguson, preferring instead to focus on their racist inclinations, which, claims the review, have filtered through to the university's institutions today. • Student groups back Hamas legal bid to come off UK's terror list The review digs out, once again, the footnote Hume appended to one of his letters, where he suggested non-whites were of inferior intelligence; it castigates medical research at the university which examined the size and shape of African and West Indian skulls in a study known as 'comparative craniology'; it attacks, as a racist venture, the Darien expedition backed by the university, to set up a colony in Central America in the 1690s; and it even criticises the botanists searching for rare plants, who went along with it. Its conclusions are stark. The university, it says, was 'implicated in the practices and systems of enslavement and colonialism and apartheid and genocide of colonialised people across the world'.Yet even as it draws up the charge street, the review concedes the record is not quite as bleak as it is painted. 'Truth-telling,' it admits, 'is not without its complications.' Thus, as the abolition of slavery was being proposed in the late 18th century, multiple meetings were held by students and staff to debate its merits. Dugald Stewart, who taught race as part of his philosophy course, and believed Europeans were superior to non-whites, nevertheless argued that slavery was 'a moral abomination' and took issue with Hume on the subject. Even Ferguson, who is accused of holding racists views, believed that all human beings belonged to the same species. What is more, such views on race were common across Europe at the time, and were certainly not confined to Edinburgh. All of this might have contributed to a genuine debate on the study of race and race relations in the Enlightenment period. Instead the review chooses to see these early links to colonialism and slavery as influencing the whole ethos of the modern university, and proposes steps to reverse it. Among the recommendations are some that would cost the university millions of pounds at a time when its finances are in a perilous state, and would make the study of colonialism and slavery 'central to the [university's] educative mission'. It proposes the setting up of a fully-staffed centre for the study of slavery and colonialism; it recommends that all buildings financed originally by donations linked to the slave trade should be renamed, and any endowments deriving from the trade transferred to promote the hiring of academics from black or minority backgrounds. • Why students are so unhappy with Edinburgh University What the review at no stage recognises, is how the debate on academic freedom has developed since the early days of the Black Lives Matter campaign. There has been a pushback from universities which have found that promoting the interests of ethnic minorities over those of others has sometimes led to the cancelling or restricting of lecturers whose views do not conform to the current trend. Some higher education institutions have faced heavy fines for failing to stand up for the interests of academics targeted by students. There is nothing wrong with exploring a university's history, however unsavoury. That history should, however, be seen in the context of its time and judged against contemporary states of knowledge and opinion. Visiting the sins of the past on the universities of today is not only unfair, it may turn out to be counterproductive. The Edinburgh vice-chancellor's endorsement is one he could come to regret.
