DISTRICT 9 CONTEXT FLASHCARDS
Who was the director? – Neill Blomkamp
When was it released? – 2009
Where is the film banned and why? – In Nigeria due to the representation of Nigerians
What is it a metaphor for? – The South African apartheid in 1984 and 1991
What happened in the apartheid? – Between 1960 and 1983, over 3.5 million non-white South
Africans were forced to leave their homes and were ‘resettled’ in segregated neighbourhoods
where poverty and crime were rife.
What was one of the first legal acts of the apartheid? – Forbidding marriage between black and
white South Africans, and sexual contact between them was considered a taboo
What are Blomkamp’s signatures? – Documentary-style filmmaking, body horror, dystopian worlds,
high-tech weapons, social commentary, corporate evil, South African identity, non-traditional
casting, first-person narration
How does he use documentary-style filmmaking? – Handheld cameras, news footage, and
mockumentary techniques
How does he use body horror? – Recurring theme of humans being physically altered
How does he use dystopian worlds? – Urban decay, poverty, slums, and authoritarian systems. He
creates futuristic but broken societies that reflect real-world injustices
How does he use high-tech weapons? – Futuristic weaponry, mechs, drones and he integrates CGI
seamlessly
How does he use social commentary? – His films are very political and he uses sci-fi as a lens to
examine real human issues
How does he use corporate evil? – Corporations are villains, reflects distrust in big institutions
exploiting science
How does he use South African identity? – Many of his works are rooted in South African culture,
politics, or settings.
How does he use non-traditional casting? – Uses unknown or non-Hollywood actors to keep things
grounded
How does he use first-person narration? – Uses these tools to give insight into protagonist’s inner
journey
What are themes in sci-fi genre? – Advanced technology, exploring what makes us human, alien
life/first contact, dystopian worlds, ethical dilemmas, government/corporate control
What are settings in sci-fi genre? – Futuristic earth, outer space, labs or high-tech facilities,
dystopian landscapes
What are characters in sci-fi genre? – Scientists/engineers, aliens, robots, everyday human caught
in extraordinary circumstances, military/government officials
What are iconography in sci-fi genre? – Futuristic weapons, alien spacecraft, robotic limbs,
futuristic
What are narrative in sci-fi genre? – Tech causes unintended consequences, the outsider becomes
the hero, first contact goes wrong, science gone too far, resistance against a powerful system,
transformation of body/identity
How does D9 conform to themes of genre? – Feature alien weaponry and biotech, dystopian slum
symbolising a broken society, raises questions about corporate greed and medical
experimentation, MNU is a powerful, unethical corporation manipulating alien life for profit
How does D9 conform to settings of genre? – MNU labs conduct illegal experiments on Wikus and
aliens in labs
How does D9 conform to characters of genre? – MNU/military are violent and oppressive, fitting
the archetype of authoritarian control, Wikus is an awkward, average guy, not a trained soldier
How does D9 conform to iconography of genre? – Alien guns, biotech that can only be used by the
aliens, the Mother Ship looms over the city, it’s visually grimy, chaotic, and dehumanising
How does D9 conform to narrative of genre? – Wikus’ transformation is a result of alien biotech
mishandling, Wikus goes from oppressor to ally of the aliens, MNU’s unethical experiments on
alien bodies and Wikus’ mutation, Wikus turns against MNU and helps Christopher escape, Wikus
slowly losing his humanity is a central plot device
How does D9 subvert themes of genre? – The aliens are not the enemy - the humans are, it’s not a
‘first contact’ story – their presence is normalised, they’re oppressed and vulnerable
How does D9 subvert settings of genre? – Set in an alternate-present Johannesburg and entirely on
earth, the slums reflect social collapse
How does D9 subvert characters of genre? – The aliens are not invaders – they’re weak and
exploited, Wikus becomes a hybrid, but it’s body horror rather than glorified transformation
How does D9 subvert iconography of genre? – Uses minimal flashy tech – gritty, grounded design
over slick visuals
Who was the director? – Neill Blomkamp
When was it released? – 2009
Where is the film banned and why? – In Nigeria due to the representation of Nigerians
What is it a metaphor for? – The South African apartheid in 1984 and 1991
What happened in the apartheid? – Between 1960 and 1983, over 3.5 million non-white South
Africans were forced to leave their homes and were ‘resettled’ in segregated neighbourhoods
where poverty and crime were rife.
What was one of the first legal acts of the apartheid? – Forbidding marriage between black and
white South Africans, and sexual contact between them was considered a taboo
What are Blomkamp’s signatures? – Documentary-style filmmaking, body horror, dystopian worlds,
high-tech weapons, social commentary, corporate evil, South African identity, non-traditional
casting, first-person narration
How does he use documentary-style filmmaking? – Handheld cameras, news footage, and
mockumentary techniques
How does he use body horror? – Recurring theme of humans being physically altered
How does he use dystopian worlds? – Urban decay, poverty, slums, and authoritarian systems. He
creates futuristic but broken societies that reflect real-world injustices
How does he use high-tech weapons? – Futuristic weaponry, mechs, drones and he integrates CGI
seamlessly
How does he use social commentary? – His films are very political and he uses sci-fi as a lens to
examine real human issues
How does he use corporate evil? – Corporations are villains, reflects distrust in big institutions
exploiting science
How does he use South African identity? – Many of his works are rooted in South African culture,
politics, or settings.
How does he use non-traditional casting? – Uses unknown or non-Hollywood actors to keep things
grounded
How does he use first-person narration? – Uses these tools to give insight into protagonist’s inner
journey
What are themes in sci-fi genre? – Advanced technology, exploring what makes us human, alien
life/first contact, dystopian worlds, ethical dilemmas, government/corporate control
What are settings in sci-fi genre? – Futuristic earth, outer space, labs or high-tech facilities,
dystopian landscapes
What are characters in sci-fi genre? – Scientists/engineers, aliens, robots, everyday human caught
in extraordinary circumstances, military/government officials
What are iconography in sci-fi genre? – Futuristic weapons, alien spacecraft, robotic limbs,
futuristic
What are narrative in sci-fi genre? – Tech causes unintended consequences, the outsider becomes
the hero, first contact goes wrong, science gone too far, resistance against a powerful system,
transformation of body/identity
How does D9 conform to themes of genre? – Feature alien weaponry and biotech, dystopian slum
symbolising a broken society, raises questions about corporate greed and medical
experimentation, MNU is a powerful, unethical corporation manipulating alien life for profit
How does D9 conform to settings of genre? – MNU labs conduct illegal experiments on Wikus and
aliens in labs
How does D9 conform to characters of genre? – MNU/military are violent and oppressive, fitting
the archetype of authoritarian control, Wikus is an awkward, average guy, not a trained soldier
How does D9 conform to iconography of genre? – Alien guns, biotech that can only be used by the
aliens, the Mother Ship looms over the city, it’s visually grimy, chaotic, and dehumanising
How does D9 conform to narrative of genre? – Wikus’ transformation is a result of alien biotech
mishandling, Wikus goes from oppressor to ally of the aliens, MNU’s unethical experiments on
alien bodies and Wikus’ mutation, Wikus turns against MNU and helps Christopher escape, Wikus
slowly losing his humanity is a central plot device
How does D9 subvert themes of genre? – The aliens are not the enemy - the humans are, it’s not a
‘first contact’ story – their presence is normalised, they’re oppressed and vulnerable
How does D9 subvert settings of genre? – Set in an alternate-present Johannesburg and entirely on
earth, the slums reflect social collapse
How does D9 subvert characters of genre? – The aliens are not invaders – they’re weak and
exploited, Wikus becomes a hybrid, but it’s body horror rather than glorified transformation
How does D9 subvert iconography of genre? – Uses minimal flashy tech – gritty, grounded design
over slick visuals
