District 9 Film Review — Attempting to construct new African identities: subversion & stereotyping in District 9 |Film Review & Critical Analysis by Sphesihle Gxotani
District 9 (2009), a South African science fiction (sci-fi) film that garnered commercial and critical acclaim globally, was written and directed by writer/director Neill Blomkamp, co-written by Terri Tatchell and produced by Peter Jackson, was a noteworthy contribution to South African cinema specifically and the African Cinema space quite broadly. Starring acting talent and on-screen performing artists such as Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope and Nathalie Boltt. Director Neill Blomkamp’s filmography consists of 18 writing credits; from 2002 to 2021, including short films, miniseries and features films, 8 visual credits for some animation work, and some acting and editing credits as well (IMDB; List Film). He is most well-known for his directing feature titles, namely, District 9 (2009), Elysium (2013) and Chappie (2015). District 9 employs a mock-documentary aesthetic throughout, a conceptual fit for its satirical social commentary on belonging, nationalism, political identities, xenophobia and the lives of refugees, the film “is a loose allegory about apartheid and recent violence by South Africans against foreigners” (BBC 2009). The plot situates us in Johannesburg, South Africa, wherein an…
