Money and power.
One of the films that was mentioned during the panel was “District 9.” I hadn’t seen it yet. There was this idea of ownership of ghetto themes. It was if the film had a responsibility as a social commentary, more than as a piece of entertainment. The thought was that the aliens represented “us” and the film itself was a vague attempt to put a sci-fi spin on apartheid.
I’d read about the Nigerian government’s request that theaters stop playing the film. Admittedly, I didn’t pay much attention to the controversy. I didn’t think much more of it than I did of the uproar over the recent “Transformers” film. Now, after seeing the film, I understand why Nigerians are upset.
Nigerians are portrayed as alien flesh eaters, prostitutes, gangsters and witch doctors. As I type this, I realize it sounds a bit like Lafayette on “True Blood.” The difference however, is that Lafayette represents himself, not blacks. The Nigerian characters in “District 9” appear to paint a broad picture of the entire population. Going back to that money and power theme, the larger problem is that many people won’t make the distinction. They will just have this visual impression of Africans. Sure, they’ll all read about Nigeria’s issue with the film, but will anyone care? Is Hollywood concerned with losing the money from the box office in Nigeria? Probably not.
What I hope doesn’t get lost in the controversy, is the fact that “District 9” is a great film. The film’s core story about a bureaucrat, who doesn’t care much about the aliens until they become a personal issue, rang very true. How many of us become more concerned about AIDS, cancer, homosexuality, abuse etc. after we are personally affected? I watch the news sometimes and wonder why they interview black people after a young black child is killed. I suspect that someone white would also have a compassion for that type of tragedy. It’s that sort of separation being examined in the film; the idea that one person’s pain is different from someone else’s.
The film made me think back to the festival panel. There were those who felt strongly that like the aliens in “District 9,” they were relegated to the ghetto of the filmmaking community. They are forced to take the scraps that Hollywood dishes out. In some ways I understand the frustration, but I believe that we have more power than we give ourselves credit for. In the film, one of the aliens, with his own resources, creates a spaceship in the hopes of finding his way out of the ghetto. In terms of film, Tyler Perry has created his own spaceship. The brothers at Rainforest Films have as well. There are others doing the same. The availability of inexpensive digital equipment makes it more possible than ever for people to tell their stories. So while for some, “District 9” is another example of the exploitation of people of color, I saw a film about the power of hope and ingenuity. If I’d seen the film prior to the festival panel, I would’ve told everyone to build their own spaceship and stop waiting for a ride on someone else’s.
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