'District 9' Film Generates Controversy Over Depiction of Nigerians

A still from 'District 9' which has generated controversy because some have claimed that it depicts Nigerians in a negative light.
Originally uploaded by Pan-African News Wire File Photos

Why District 9 isn't racist against Nigerians

If District 9 'hates Nigerians', as a Facebook group would have it, then it hates its powerful, white characters even more

The surprise science-fiction hit of the summer, District 9, in which aliens nicknamed "Prawns" face eviction from their squalid shantytown in Johannesburg, has already attracted attention for its satire. Mostly this has focused on how its allusion to apartheid is a painful reminder of South Africa's troubled past.

District 9 Production year: 2009 Country: USA Cert (UK): 15 Runtime: 112 mins Directors: Neill Blomkamp Cast: David James, Jason Cope, Kenneth Nkosi, Louis Minnaar, Mandla Gaduka, Nathalie Boltt, Sharlto Copley, Sylvaine Strike, Vanessa Haywood

Last week, a fresh row broke over the film's depiction of Nigerians as gang members, weapons dealers and prostitutes. Several bloggers complained the film would reinforce negative stereotypes of the country. A Facebook group, District 9 hates Nigerians, was also hastily created, and is urging people to sign a petition demanding an apology from the film-makers.

As a Nigerian watching the film, it's true the portrayal of Nigerians, as well as black South Africans, sometimes made it hard not to flinch. It's also understandable that cultural sensitivities have been aroused, especially as Nigerian characters playing a central role in an international summer blockbuster is hardly a frequent occurrence. Some may see it as a missed opportunity to promote Nigerian culture in a positive light. To be portrayed as gun-toting, sex-trafficking, voodoo-loving degenerates is not the kind of advert any race would be proud to endorse. But a key part of the film's success is that it invites audiences to look deeper, rather than just accept its flawed characters at face value.

If District 9 really does hate Nigerians, it clearly hates its powerful, white characters even more. Objecting to Nigerians being portrayed as morally bankrupt criminals seems pointless when almost every group of characters in the film have little or no regard for the law. The company in charge of shipping the aliens out of the country, MNU, and many of the white politicians giving the orders are invariably ignorant, double-crossing and corrupt. The soldiers come across as mind-controlled thugs, using violent threats and tricking aliens into signing dubious eviction notices. Scientists carry out underhand experiments on captured "Prawns"; the aliens arm themselves with illegal weapons and brawl in the streets.

Despite initially appearing powerless, the Nigerians exert a tremendous amount of power over the aliens by controlling their weapons and food supply. These power struggles are an everyday reality in District 9's slums, emulating the country's real-life problems during the same period in which the film is set.

District 9 is neither racist nor xenophobic. South African director Neill Blomkamp has made an astonishingly thought-provoking and intelligent film that in turn assumes intelligent thinking from his audience. By refusing to shy away from the uncomfortable truth that racism will always exist, Blomkamp is forcing us to challenge our own perceptions about race and equality. He makes it clear the Nigerians are no better or worse than their white (or alien) counterparts, creating an unsettling sort of equality among the characters. And while the film may occasionally play on clumsy racial stereotypes, it also encourages us to challenge them. As Peter Bradshaw observes in his review, the film "encourages the audience to ask questions the movie is uninterested in answering".

And so the baton is passed back to us as viewers to question how our own beliefs shape our opinion of an unashamedly bold film such as District 9. Is the blending of entertainment with political satire the ultimate cause of the strong reaction? Or could it be the film marks a turning point in Hollywood's often awkward relationship with race issues, and we're simply learning how to adjust?