Nigerian officials: 'District 9' not welcome here

This undated file movie still from Sony Pictures shows Sharlto Copley, center, in a scene from "District 9." The movie, one of the summer's biggest blockbusters, a sci-fi morality tale about aliens and apartheid, is not welcome in Nigeria because of its portrayal of Nigerians as gangsters and cannibals, Nigeria's information minister said Saturday.

[Bama Yankee]

I guess the only comment I can make is "if the shoe fits....."

[abc]

3rd world countries have a good sense of humor.

[xlanrex_bigmouth _e-mc2]

er......i dont see any humour in all o' that!

[xlanrex_bigmouth _e-mc2]

fact is that movie unfairly depicted nigerians as gangsters, cannibals and hedonistic savages! what the frequent use of 'the Nigerians' to address the bad guys. a fictitious name wouldnt have removed the shine from the movie and the director made his despise for Nigerians so obvious! That movie simply put is racist and plain STUPID!

[Makeda ibtihaj]

I'm not Nigerian, but if I was i would be very pi**ed off with the film. It is definately racist!
http://www.wa tch-movies links.net/movies/district_9/

[clevercloggs]

Guys, here's something to take note of:

Unfortunately, a significant amount of Nigerians (NOT ALL) have gotten themselves involved with so much criminal activity in southern Africa, as well as the rest of the world, that it's embarrassing. In the case of southern Africa, including SA, Zimbabwe etc, it's so commonplace that other nationalities who get caught in the act always claim to be Nigerian. So Nigerians have become scapegoats when it comes to crime.
This film, if I'm not mistaken, was made in South Africa. It was written and directed by a white South African man. Key word: Apartheid. I'm sure if he could, the director would have made ALL black people the vilains, but that would have been too obvious. So in with Plan B: let's have Nigerians take the heat instead.

[maduka]

dont try it stupid people

[RB RN]

If anything, the movie brings out some things some people never even thought about.Maybe it's true. Maybe it's not. It's A MOVIE! Sony in no way needs to offer an apology or edit the movie.....

[clevercloggs]

RB RN wrote:

If anything, the movie brings out some things some people never even thought about.Maybe it's true. Maybe it's not. It's A MOVIE! Sony in no way needs to offer an apology or edit the movie.....

Point taken, RB RN. The problem is that it could feed into the xenophobia that's already a problem among South Africans towards Nigerians.

[Nadia]

Why are Nigerians angry over a movie? If people was to get angry over movies that displayed bad things about them and their nation alot of people would have start boycotting movies from other nations. Besides the movie District 9 is not a Hollywood movie, its a South African Movie Made in South Africa by South Africans. So you guys need to leave Hollywood out of this one. The whole funny thing about it is when nigerians want to make war movies they will always use Liberia civil war. Trust me i have watched lots of Nigerian movies that protrays liberia and her people as war crimials and i dame will know Liberia is not the only country in Africa not to talk about the world that had gone through civil war. Nigerians too had gone through civil war called the Biafra. It won't hurt to make lots of movies about it. It will be better to talk to the director of the movie because i know there will still be some Nigerians that have watched the movie and i'm sure there will be more that will watch it. District 9 why did you disrespect Nigerians?

[clevercloggs]

Nadia,
The fact is that whenever a collective group is portrayed in a negative manner, be that in movies, other forms of media etc, that group will consider it prejudiced. So for example, Mel Gibson's movie "The Passion of the Christ" was released, it sparked a lot of controversy because of its negative portrayal of Jews. I am in no means making a political/religious/racist statement here. I'm just pointing out the fact that matters close to one's hearts will always create some sort of reaction from like-minded people. The fact is, unless you can identify with those that are angry for whatever reason, whether through empathy, sympathy, or a sense of belonging, you'll never understand it. I am sure you have experienced something that made your race/religion/sex feel like it was under attack, and you would have felt the same way. We know it's a South African movie written and directed by South Africans, but's the whole point of my argument; read my post above.

[clevercloggs]

Taxed to death wrote:

Cant handle the truth?

Apparently, the taxes haven't finished you off yet...

[Huh]

You just can't please everyone.

[HAHA]

But lets get on thing straight, the British are scrawny just like the lead character.

[MBA]

HAHA wrote:

But lets get on thing straight, the British are scrawny just like the lead character.

Why are you linking the British into this? The lead character was South African with Dutch heritage, nothing British about him.

[lazyness fmt]

nazi movies that make every german person look like insane hate mongers'mob movies that make every itailian american a member or under the heel of a criminal under world'the irish portrayed as wife beating alchoholics..face facts people there,s good and bad in all cultures,im not offended.. im entertained, because some are reflections of real life,some are how other people see my cultures and it's fasinating..plus im a middle age white amercan who has lots of black friends with regular jobs ...my wifes jewish and loves to spend money we dont have..thier just movies,storys,bull@#$%...i think those so easily offended are guilty of seeing there own flaws in these fictional tales ..heed the words of the potato hating irishman who dont drink when i say lighten up it's just a movie..what scared me is why nobodys offended by the way all mankind was portrayed..the way life in philly is,i can believe it though

[lazyness fmt]

any sequal news ..its not really a stand alone feature with half the story missing

[lazyness fmt]

is anybody out there

[lazyness fmt]

ill find out in 3 years i guess...cya

[clevercloggs]

lazyness fmt wrote:

any sequal news ..its not really a stand alone feature with half the story missing

Not sure, but I'm guessing Nigerians won't be in it!