DISTRICT 9By Jake Zimmerman & Ryan Bailey

SummaryDistrict 9 details the story of an alien race that had been stranded in space, after an unknown force evicted them from their home planet.The movie does not show why they left, but they become unwanted refugees in Johannesburg, South Africa.When they arrive, the mothership hovers over the city. After pondering what to do, the nations of the world decide to enter the mothership and investigate.Inside, they find a band of aliens.

Teh h4x0rz get inseids teh motharshipz!!!!!!!1!!!

The DistrictDistrict 9 is essentially a ghetto/slum populated by aliens. It was created as a temporary housing solution for the aliens so that the aliens and humans would be mostly unable to mingle.However, District 9 quickly became a permanent installation. With rising pressure from the citizens of the surrounding cities, the company overseeing the slum, Multi National United (MNU), is forced to create a more permanent housing solution for the aliens far away from Johannesburg.Evicting the aliens from their homes proves more difficult than expected and a vast network of corruption and mistreatment of aliens within MNU is soon uncovered.

District 9

District 6While the situations depicted in this film are entirely fictitious, in real life there are instances of great injustices being done against a particular group of people.District 9 illustrates the human rights tragedy that occurred in South Africa in the 1970s, apartheid.In 1966, District 6 was declared a “whites-only” area. The government portrayed it as a crime-infested slum and that it had to be destroyed. Under apartheid, the government also asserted that interracial interaction created problems.Evictions began in 1968 and by 1982, over 60,000 people were relocated to a place called Cape Flats, which was a less than desirable area, around 16 miles away. Almost all of the buildings in District 6 were razed and then left mostly undeveloped.Since the end of apartheid in 1994, former residents have been getting land back and rebuilding has been supported by the government.Like the true events of District 6, the movie District 9 shows the government discriminating against aliens and keeping them separate, just like it did in the original apartheid. When the eviction of the people of District 6 was ordered, little regard was given to how it would affect the lives of the people living there. Similarly, MNU did not care if the move aversely affected the aliens.

Weapon testing on alien target

District 9

Ryan’s ReviewI absolutely loved District 9, and have watched it multiple times. It presents the story in a way that makes it seem totally plausible. The acting, realism, and professional VFX make this movie one of my favorites. I prefer this low-budget movie to its competitor for awards, Avatar, because of believability.Most importantly, though, is the relevance to modern society. The aliens represent refugees or groups of people who are very different. They are given the derogatory term “prawn,” which implies the same thing terms used against humans do.

Jake’s ReviewDistrict 9 was a medium budget film that managed to attain praise from many critics due to its compelling plot and excellent acting.I thoroughly enjoyed the film because its subject was completely foreign, yet related to real life. The excellent writing and impressive acting are able to tell the story in a compelling way that engrossed me and created an immersive setting within which the premise of an alien apartheid flourishes. If forced to created a list of my favorite specimens of cinematography, District 9 would be ranked highly with other pioneers in its genre such as Alien and Star Wars: The Empire Strikes Back.

Watch The Movie!District 9 is an INCREDIBLE movie. It is definitely worth your time, although it is a quite gory.This smaller budget film was able to achieve commendations equal to other “blockbuster” movies such as Avatar.

BibliograpyDistrict 9http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/War_in_Darfurhttp://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/District_Six,_Cape_Town