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DISTRICT 9
Students’ papers
“They are not welcome” . . . “They are not
accepted” . . . “They are not human”.
Released in New Zealand and Australian
cinemas on August 14th 2009, the Neill Blomkamp directed, Peter Jackson
produced sci-fi movie DISTRICT 9 will not stop people from discussing it.
Central to DISTRICT 9 are the themes of
refugees, discrimination, prejudice, oppression, greed, biological technology
and warfare, the power of multinational companies, relationships, trust, and
that ever present question, ‘what is it to be human?’
Aliens arriving on Earth may be to sci-fi
movies what the man-on-the-run plot is to an action thriller, yet while
DISTRICT 9 uses both these clichés, its opening documentary film style does
not have a typical sci-fi feel. As a character in the movie is heard to state,
“There are a lot of secrets in DISTRICT 9”.
Set in 2010 Johannesburg, we learn that
twenty-eight years ago, an immense alien spacecraft came to rest in the skies
above the city. Anticipating contact, if not hostility, the South African
authorities are bewildered as three months pass. They then decide to enter the
craft and find hundreds of thousands of malnourished and helpless alien
labourers, seemingly with no leaders and no way to “phone” let alone return,
home. Far from being an invading force, these beings are refugees.
Facing this refugee crisis, the South
African authorities employ the assistance of the military arm of Multi-National
United (a not so subtle twist of the United Nations) and the aliens are
deployed to DISTRICT 9.
“Committed to bringing Human-kind the
benefits of tomorrow’s technology today” Multi-National United (MNU) is not
only a security force, but “the global leader in technological innovation”.
It is no surprise then, that MNU want to
learn from the aliens advanced travel and weapons technology. Rather than
working alongside the aliens to repair their craft and return them to their
home, MNU prevent their leaving, curtail their activities and, as we later
learn, kidnap, harvest and experiment on the aliens in order to reveal their
technology. However, the integration of their technology, with their alien
biology renders the spacecraft and the alien weapons useless in “humans hands”.
In addition, a small section of the spaceship was captured falling to Earth.
However, extensive searches over the years have failed to find any debris.
Now, more than two decades after the
alien’s arrival, DISTRICT 9 has become a shanty town realistically reminiscent
of refugee and squatter camps all over the world.
Enacting MNU regulation 2.6.2 which permits
the MNU to “designate any non-human area as residential, industrial, government
or MNU at any time”, an enforced relocation of the now 1.8 million alien
inhabitants of DISTRICT 9 to District 10, a tented refugee camp some 240
kilometres outside of Johannesburg, begins.
The naïve, boyish and somewhat bumbley
Wikus van de Merwe, a MNU field operative, is given leadership of the
relocation operation, by his father-in-law, who is a director of the company.
As the operation begins and the documentary
cameras follow Wikus, he stumbles upon a laboratory in one of the huts in which
the alien Christopher Johnson (all aliens are given human names by MNU), his
small son and adult colleague have been synthesising a black liquid. While
searching the make-shift laboratory, Wikus discovers the canister containing
the alien fuel and while showing the camera crew its alien markings, he
accidently sprays himself with a shower of black fluid.
Wikus becomes ill over the following hours,
running a fever and oozing black phlegm from his nose. Despite his progressive
illness, Wikus nevertheless “soldiers on” getting into an altercation with
aliens where he injures and bandages his hand. At nightfall, exhausted, Wikus
arrives home to a surprise ‘heroes’ party, where he collapses and is
hospitalised.
A doctor cuts away the bandages to treat
Wikus’ injured hand, to reveal that it has morphed into an alien claw. Seizing
the opportunity, members of the MNU, including his own father-in-law, torture
Wikus into wrapping his claw around the triggers of numerous alien weapons.
Indeed, his claw can operate the weapons and instantly Wikus becomes the most
important “technology” on Earth.
Poised, as he is, in a balance between
human and alien metamorphosis, MNU scientists decide to harvest Wikus’ organs
in order to have the greatest chance of replicating his ability to use alien
technology in other humans. Finding the strength to escape (with the aid of a
few alien weapons!), Wikus flees. The man-hunt ensues, our “innocent”
protagonist is framed, chaos explodes across the screen and over the camera
lens, and the movie slips into sustained (‘Y’- chromosome orientated)
action-thriller sequences as Wikus teams up with Christopher Johnson to retrieve
the canister from MNU headquarters.
Scenes alluding to the Transformers,
Ironman and Terminator One ensue as between them Wikus, Christopher Johnson and
his precocious small son, re-unite the command module (which had fallen to the
Earth many years before) with the alien master ship enabling it to leave the
Earth’s atmosphere.
We return to the documentary clips where
one character declares “Everyone wants to know what will happen next” . . .
The plot has been left open for a “District
10” sequel. Will Christopher Johnson keep his word and return to reverse the
metamorphosis of the now completely “Prawn-like” Wikus, and to rescue the more
than two million aliens now even more inadequately housed in new District 10
History
and Current Events:
While the parallels to the Apartheid era in
South Africa are obvious, Blomkamp’s aliens are a more encompassing form of
“other” and the movie alludes to racial intolerance and marginalisation on a
global, not just a local level. This futuristic setting provides a capture for
the exploration of refugees throughout history and in current time, both within
Africa and beyond.
Refugees: “They don’t belong here”
“They are spending so much money to keep
them here when they could be spending it on other things. At least they are
keeping them separate from us.”
“A lot of bad things have started to
happen”
“They must just go. I don’t know where they
must go, but they must go.”
Poignantly, these scene-setting comments
made in the documentary-like opening are predominantly spoken by black South
Africans. As filming began on DISTRICT 9, South Africa was experiencing an
influx of refugees from Zimbabwe. Thus, the issue of xenophobia is raised.
“Hundreds of thousands and now millions of
Zimbabwean immigrants from the collapse of Zimbabwe have been crossing the
border into South Africa and have been living in the impoverished areas of
South Africa with the impoverished black citizens of South Africa,” says
Blomkamp. “So they’ve come in looking for a better life because their country
is collapsing. And what’s happened now is that the poverty-stricken black
residents in South Africa have lashed out against these poverty-stricken black
citizens of Zimbabwe.
“It was like a powder keg situation that
was on everyone’s mind,” continues Blomkamp, discussing the roots of his
allegorical film. “It was seriously violent stuff that happened, and it
happened as we were shooting. When the film was conceived, I wanted to
incorporate the idea of impoverished South Africans who wanted another impoverished
group out. Because that’s a very big part of South Africa’s fabric right now.”
A subplot within the film concerns the
Nigerian warlord, Mumbo, and his band who exploit the inhabitants of DISTRICT
9, scamming them out of their technology (specifically weaponry) and money via
a trade in cat food and inter-species sex.
1. It is worth exploring/discussing how the
Nigerians are depicted within the movie as exploitative, cruel and primitive in
their superstitions. Is this just?
2. What other modern-day examples of
exploitation of the poor and/or vulnerable exist? (In the New Zealand context
consider the recent issues on illegal overstayers. Who has authority/right to
grant citizenship?)
3. Research District Six from modern South
African history. Compare and contrast the forced relocation of some sixty
thousand black residents of Cape Town’s District Six to a barren outlying area
known as the Cape Flats, during the apartheid era, with the forced relocation
of the aliens.
4. Compare and contrast the development of
the United Nations forces and the development of the military arm of MNU. How
are parallels made between the two during the movie?
5. Holocaust allusions exist throughout the
movie including the “resettlement” of the Jews. The rules and regulations for
Non-humans may be viewed on the Multi-National United website
(multinationalunited.com). Here one learns that Non-humans must be issued an
identity tag within one day of hatching. This identity tag must be visible at
all times. Non-humans are not permitted to own property; Multi-National United
may search and seize Non-Human property at any time; NMU may monitor and record
any non-human activity it sees fit, including surveillance of all medical
records; Non-Humans must only sit, drink from, travel on, move within
designated areas; and so on. This website provides an excellent opportunity to
compare and contrast the treatment of those deemed “others” in society, both
throughout history and within the current time.
6. Research the use of concentration camps.
Philosophical
Discussion:
What are our responsibilities toward
refuges from other countries?
What are the ethical and moral issues
involved in the governance of diverse cultures that co-exist?
What degree of
authority/control/influence/sway should governments have over a population?
What degree of
authority/control/influence/sway should multinational companies have over a
population?
Economics:
Commerce: Politics:
Who are the world’s largest Multinational
companies? What businesses are they in?
What countries are they in?
Investigate Public-Private partnerships in
your country (and globally). What influence do private companies have in the
economy?; politics?; is this changing?
“The responsibility for co-existing starts at home. Staying inside your
designated residential region will help keep order intact. Territorial
integrity helps individuals feel safe, secure and empowered.”
Psychology:
The protagonist we are introduced to at the
beginning of the movie is a bumbling, well meaning, sensitive-new-age guy who
likes to give his wife hand-made gifts. Exploited for his jovial naivety, and
seen as a “pawn” in the larger game that is unfolding by his father-in-law (a
senior in the military arm of MNU), Wikus is charged with leading the
relocation of the aliens. As his DNA begins to mutate and he develops the
ability to fire the alien weaponry, MNU seek to exploit Wikus for different
reasons. Initially useful for his personality traits, Wikus becomes useful for
his physical traits.
Is there something in the human condition
that predisposes us to exploiting “others” for our own gain?
How might we personally be involved in the
exploitation of “others” (you could define “other people” or “other sentient
beings, including animals”, as you choose. This could link back to exploitation
of child workers in the production of designer goods, and the living conditions
under which the poverty stricken survive; the exploitation of animals through
genetic engineering and animal testing; the exploitation of women through
pornography (physical traits) etc.)
Why do we appear to be predisposed to
disliking those who are not like us, but who are“other”?
How do we make people “other”?
We never learn the cultural name of the
aliens in DISTRICT 9, but rather they are referred to by the derogatory term
“Prawns”. Compare this to the use of terms such as “Cockroaches” during the
Hutu-Tutsi genocide of a decade ago. What effects does the use of such
derogatory terms have?
What other terms have been used in historical
events?
What derogatory terms are used in the
school environment/our community to make people “other”?
What is the significance of Wikus beginning
to call Christopher by his ‘given’ name?
How can you prevent undue manipulation of
power/control/ pressure/ by peers;
(Research teacher Jane Elliot’s now
infamous 1968 “A class divided” discrimination lessons. Prompted by the
assassination of Martin Luther King, Jane divided her class into blue eyed and
brown eyed students in order to demonstrate what discrimination is, how it
feels and how it can affect people’s behaviour.
If you are finding it difficult to
understand how “good” people might do “bad” things, or believe that they are
not capable of active discrimination, then a discussion of Stanley Milgram’s
experiment might prove interesting. This famous experiment (and its variants)
measured the willingness of subjects to obey an authority figure, even when it
came to undertaking acts that conflicted with their conscience.
The closing line of the New York Times
review of DISTRICT 9 is “.the film . . . suggests that sometimes the only way
to become fully human is to be completely alienated.”
Wikus undergoes a physical transformation.
In what ways does he undergo a moral transformation?
What natural feeling would we experience
should an alien ship arrive and hover over our capital city? How would these
initial feelings change after three months of no contact? How would they change
if the Government or powerful multinational company confined them to one
specific area and did not allow natural interaction to occur?
Is the story resolved? Is it a satisfying
ending with “Everyone wants to know what will happen next” left open? Has it
been set up for a sequel?
Mathematics:
There is an aptitude algebra test available
on the district9movie.com website.
Physics:
Just how the alien ship is able to ‘hover’
above Johannesburg, seemingly without any power is a great question for a
Physics class.
What forces must be overcome?
What is required for the space-ship to be
able to overcome these forces? Where might this energy come from if the
space-ship is seemingly without power?
Proclaiming that he is able to reverse
Wikus’ metamorphosis, the alien, Christopher Johnson declares that he will
return in three Earth years.
Where in the universe might this place the
alien civilisation if the space-ship travelled at light speed? Is this
feasible? Why/Why not?
Biology:
This quote can be found on the home page of
district9facts.com
When I checked out the bio.org site on August
24th, it was featuring blog posts from the 7th Transgenic Animal Research
Conference that had just concluded in California. Topics discussed included the
possible benefits to society of genetically engineering animals, for example,
cattle genetically engineered to produce a human antibody for cancer treatment;
goats genetically engineered to produce spider silk proteins for use in sutures
and body armour; genetically engineered pigs being used as models of human
diseases including Alzheimer’s, breast cancer, diabetes, psoriasis and
atherosclerosis; and animal stewardship, including details of a conference on
this subject to be held in 2010.
For example, the theme of
Xenotransplantation – the transplantation of living tissue between members of
different species – is but one of the scientific topics ripe for capture and
exploration within DISTRICT 9.
The alien’s weaponry may only be operated
by a being with the right DNA.
Explore the bio-information pages of our
passports.
In what other ways is bio-information being
used in security at the moment? What developments in this area are on the
horizon?
After being exposed to the synthesised
“fuel” Wikus becomes ill and his cells begin to mutate. This offers an
opportunity to explore germ warfare – past use, present developments and future
implications.
Chemistry:
The aliens take “bio-fuel” to a new level,
synthesising a small canister of highly efficient fuel that is able to power
the enormous ship. However, the process took many years.
“Like District 9, the reality of
biotechnology is dramatic and intense, and the discoveries revolutionary:
curing debilitating diseases, improving agricultural yields, and finding better
ways to fuel our worlds.
This
gives a great lead in to the study of current bio-fuels, not to mention the
production of non-renewable resources such as oil (which the black fuel
resembles).
Health:
The warlord Mumbo and his gang believe that
if they eat alien flesh they will absorb their DNA and their physical and
technological strength. This scene provides an opportunity to explore the
interface between science and beliefs. For example, while alternatives to
‘Western medicine’ assist multitudes of people, numerous unfoundered beliefs
with respect to enhancement, disease and cures also exist within different
cultures today. Possible areas for exploration include: alternative medicines;
the role of belief, including the placebo effect. Where is the line between
“witch- doctor”, homeopathic healer, natural medicine and technology filled
“western medicine”?; is scientific understanding the only important
understanding when it comes to health and medicine?
As he evicts the aliens from DISTRICT 9,
Wikus discovers a hut in which alien eggs are incubating. He “aborts” several
of them for the cameras (using this terminology). In a scene that follows
shortly thereafter, Wikus prevents a MNU soldier from shooting a child alien
who has annoyed them, saying something along the lines of, "No you can't
shoot him now, he is too big. It is against the law. That's why you have to
abort them" How does Wikus’ action relate to the abortion debate? What are
the alternative views within this debate? How does the perceived value of early
life relate to the ethics of embryo experimentation?
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