District 9 Sci-Fi flick angers Nigeria
p2pnet news view Politics | Movies:- Grotesque space creatures who arrive on Earth by accident only to be forcibly interned in a South African segregation camp aren’t the bad guys in the new Sci-Fi movie, District 9.
That role is reserved for a really evil crew of Nigerians who hold the aliens to ransom, extorting them and controlling the movement of ‘trade’.
And it’s really upset the Nigerian government.
Nigeria is infamous on- and off-line as home to significant numbers of crooks who scam gullible (and greedy) people into parting with large amounts of money.
In the District 9, a band of Nigerians is portrayed as a corrupt and unsavoury crew out to serve themselves, and only themselves, at any cost.
Now, “Nigeria’s government is asking cinemas to stop showing a science fiction film, District Nine, that it says denigrates the country’s image,” says the BBC, going on:
“Information Minister Dora Akunyili told the BBC’s Network Africa programme that she had asked the makers of the film, Sony, for an apology.
“She says the film portrays Nigerians as cannibals, criminals and prostitutes.”
Malawian actor Eugene Khumbanyiwa plays gang leader Obasanjo which is, by a strange coincidence, also the surname of former Nigerian president Olusegun Obasanjo in a “loose allegory about apartheid and recent violence by South Africans against foreigners,” Says the story, quoting Akunyili as saying:
“We feel very bad about this because the film clearly denigrated Nigeria’s image by portraying us as if we are cannibals, we are criminals,” she said.
“The name our former president was clearly spelt out as the head of the criminal gang and our ladies shown like prostitutes sleeping with extra-terrestrial beings.”
(Cheers, Emma)
large amounts of money – p2pnet talks to 419 scammer Caroline, March 26, 2009
BBC – Nigeria ‘offended’ by sci-fi film, September 19, 2009
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September 23rd, 2009 at 9:30 am
Wait a sec!
Must I understand Information Minister Dora Akunyili’s claim that “the film portrays Nigerians as cannibals(…)” in so far that she thinks that Nigerians are NOT even humans? Because in the film I watched there where NO nigerians who where eating members of their own species!
Cow and Pig flesh eating humans are vegetarians
alien flesh eating (nigerian) humans are cannibals
according to this information minister or what?
Could it be she hasn’t even watched (understand) the film?
September 23rd, 2009 at 9:41 am
BBC also writes:
“The information minister said she had ordered the Nigerian film and video censors’ board to ask all cinemas to stop showing the film and to confiscate it.”
Hmm, is she not making enough money anymore with the 419 scams so that she can profit more from the (probably increased) black marked piracy of the film ones it is not legally available anymore in Nigeria because of her order?
September 23rd, 2009 at 10:34 am
Sometimes the face in the mirror isn’t pleasing.
tough shit.
September 23rd, 2009 at 11:48 am
I can see how that would be hurtful to Nigerians. The truth hurts…
September 23rd, 2009 at 12:31 pm
LOL! Truthiness!
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:16 pm
Dear Nigerian Government,
I must thank you for sparking my interest in the movie “District 9″.
Because of MPAA and RIAA activities I have been ignoring all major
feature films, so this one would have completely escaped my notice …
… that is, until you made such a fuss over it and tried to take steps to ban it,
or otherwise prevent it from being seen.
Now that you have taken these steps I am DUTY BOUND to ensure that this film not
only gets to be seen, but is seen by as many eyes as I can possibly put it in front of.
I am certain that some other ‘folks’ feel the same way and will likewise be certain that
people get to see what THEY choose to see, and not what a government decides is ‘good’
for them.
Once again thank you for calling this to mine, and everyone else’ attention,
otherwise, we would have completely missed this one.
Just ask Barbara Streisand how it works.
Sincerely,
Dredd
September 23rd, 2009 at 1:21 pm
It’ll become a cult epic.
Cheers!
September 23rd, 2009 at 7:10 pm
I’ll admit paying to see this one the first day it came out (first visit to the theater since I think the last Lord of the rings) epic movies deserve my wallet. As for the Nigerian government: Its a fiction; Im not sure if you missed that part. f©king prawns.
September 23rd, 2009 at 8:37 pm
Oppressive governments have always had a problem with fiction.
It makes people wonder, it makes them think.
People who think are frightening to government.
That’s why certain american politicians mock higher education publicly,
while privately sending their OWN kids to the best schools in the country.
They only want the ‘right’ people to have a good solid education.
nice.
September 24th, 2009 at 1:02 am
Dear Nigerian Government,
If you would like District 9 to be NOT seen by myself, please send your banking details with a nominal amount of money [insert amount here of $150US or more] to cover administrative fees to the following address [insert name and address here].
When your administrative fee has been received I will faithfully never watch District 9 anywhere within the boundaries of Nigeria or its territories.
Awaiting your response
September 24th, 2009 at 9:02 am
Does the Nigeria government know what science fiction is? I bet not!
September 25th, 2009 at 8:47 pm
Lets just say it was an awsome movie and those of us who live in a free country would never give up the awsome things that go with that… simple as that
September 28th, 2009 at 8:22 am
this film is crap. i wouldn’t pay to see it – and i didn’t.