District 9: Sci-fi with a message
District 9 mixes science fiction and social commentary in a way that earned the film an Oscar nod.
The movie tells the story of aliens who come to live in Johannesburg, South Africa after becoming stranded. Humans transfer them to a shanty town called District 9 where they live in filth, dismal poverty and rampant crime. They are given the derogatory name “Prawns” and are eventually so resented by their human hosts that a plan is put together to move them to a new location that’s farther away and more concentration camp than home. During the move an accident occurs that exposes the military leader, Wikus, to an alien chemical, causing him to begin to mutate into one of the aliens. When the government catches on, Wikus finds himself hunted by his own people for experimentation and research. The only ones he can turn to for help are the very aliens he’s helped oppress.
What’s the metaphor?
With its corrugated tin shacks and wretched conditions, there’s no doubt District 9 was modeled after the township settlements where more than a million South African blacks still live without basic human services, two decades after the end of apartheid.
And it’s not far-fetched to find a parallel between District 9 and the ghettos of Nazi Germany, America’s inner cities, and all of those other shunned places where unwanted, powerless peoples have been herded off to, far from the more privileged classes.
What can you do?
Learn more about historical segregation and discrimination both in the U.S. and across the world. Share your knowledge with your friends and family.
How do the other Oscar nominated films add up on cause? Check out our Oscar countdown stories:
We'll be rating a movie a day until the Oscars on Sunday, March 7th, so check back with us for more!
