District 9 (2009)

District 9 is a 2009 science fiction action film directed and co-written by Neill Blomkamp. The film stars Sharlto Copley, Jason Cope, and David James, and was adapted from Blomkamp's 2005 short film Alive in Joburg. The film is partially presented in a mockumentary format by featuring fictional interviews, news footage, and video from surveillance cameras. It begins in an alternate 1982, when an alien spaceship appears over Johannesburg, South Africa. When a population of sick and malnourished insectoid aliens is discovered on the ship, the South African government confines them to an internment camp called District 9. The title and premise of District 9 were predominantly inspired by events in Cape Town's District Six, during the apartheid era. The film explores themes of humanity, racism, xenophobia, social segregation, and medical torture.

District 9 premiered on 23 July 2009 at San Diego Comic-Con, and was released in New Zealand on 13 August, the United States on 14 August and South Africa on 28 August, by TriStar Pictures. It received positive reviews from critics, and was a financial success, earning $211 million on a budget of $30 million. It garnered numerous award nominations, including Academy Awards for Best Picture, Best Adapted Screenplay, Best Visual Effects, and Best Film Editing.