Aliens and morality in gritty and riveting sci-fi thriller District 9, introduced and discussed by philosopher and journalist Kristy Claassen as part of our monthly Philofilm series.
In the dystopian District 9, alien refugees are stranded in Johannesburg, South Africa. Government bureaucrat Wikus van der Merwe is tasked with relocating the aliens when a chance encounter changes his life forever. District 9 recalls the historic events that took place in District Six during Apartheid, when thousands of people were forcibly removed from their homes under the South African Groups Area Act. As such, the film deals with topics such as colonialism and the more recent xenophobic violence plaguing the country. The protagonist's encounter with an alien chemical compound leads to the exploration of existential themes such as belonging, identity and otherness, with a touch of absurdist humor.
Kristy Claassen studied journalism and has a distinction in philosophy from the University of Johannesburg (2009). She also obtained a bachelor's and master's degree from the University of Pretoria (2014) with a dissertation on theological anthropology and engineering. While teaching part-time at the University of Pretoria, she was active in non-profit organizations and community work in the city before landing a job as a researcher at an educational technology company.
For tickets: Concordia event website
