No booming American actors or actresses lead one of the most talked about movies of 2009, which happens to focus on aliens. With hints of controversy and a deep message, ‘District 9’ is being heralded as one of the best films of the year. In this article, you will encounter the plot of the movie, as well as facts and trivia regarding this blockbuster hit.
The Plot
If you’ve ever wondered how the world would react to the presence of aliens, then this movie may open your mind and eyes to the possibility. The movie shows the discovery of a starship hovering over Johannesburg, South Africa that contains an alien population (who have been given the nicknames of ‘the Prawns’).
Fast-forward 28 years later and the human population have placed the aliens in a refugee camp, which is now a militarized ghetto dubbed District 9. The aliens are confined to this space and ultimately exploited. In 2010, a munitions corporation is given the task of forcibly evicting the alien population. In the end, the aliens find an alliance in a government agent who has been exposed to an alien chemical , forcing him to cooperate with the alien race in order to save his own life.
District 9 Trivia and Facts
A marketing campaign associated with the movie saw posters put up in major cities throughout North America and the United Kingdom , plastered on public places, such as bus stops and the sides of buildings.
The posters prompted people to call a specific number to report non-humans. While the title of the film was not included, you could still make out the URL address for the film’s official website.
Neill Blomkamp wrote and directed the short film called ‘Alive in Joburg’ in 2005, which served as the initial premise for ‘District 9.’ In his take, Blomkamp took a documentary-style approach to show the struggles of social contact between aliens and inhabitants that took place in Johannesburg, South Africa. Blomkamp’s childhood in South Africa during apartheid greatly influenced the movie’s themes.
Filming for ‘District 9’ took place in Johannesburg, Gauteng, South Africa and Miramar, Wellington, New Zealand.
During the filming of the movie, about six different endings were created.
The movie is 112 minutes long.
The star of the film, Sharlto Copley, had never had any experiences acting before ‘District 9’ and had no desire to go into the acting business. Interestingly, he was selected for the leading role when director Blomkamp put him on-camera during the short film.
Thanks to CGI, the ‘prawns’ in the film were graphically enhanced except for the ones that appear on the operating table in the medical lab. All of the aliens that speak in the film were connected to one actor (Jason Cope), who played the role of the lead alien Christopher Johnson and narrator Grey Bradnam. Cope adlibbed the dialogue for the speaking aliens, which were dubbed over after production had ceased.