FG Bans Screening Of District 9 in Nigeria

FG Bans Screening Of N5.7bn Science Fiction Movie, District 9

The Federal Government on Saturday said it had banned the screening of a blockbuster sci-fi movie, District 9, in Nigeria because of its negative potrayal of Nigerians.

The Associated Press reports that Information and Communications Minister, Prof. Dora Akunyili, said in Abuja that the film was not welcome in Nigeria because it portrayed the people as gangsters and cannibals.

The movie, which is set in South Africa, is based on aliens and science fiction. However, Akunyili said, ”We have directed that they should stop public screening of the film. We are not happy about it because it portrays Nigeria in bad light.”

Akunyili said she has asked the owners of the movie, Sony Corporation, for an apology. She also said the American company had been asked to edit references to Nigeria, adding that the producers should also change the name of the main charcter, Obesandjo, because it closely resembles that of former President Olusegun Obasanjo.

”We have written to the producer and distributor of the film, Sony Entertainment, expressing our displeasure and demanded an apology. We have asked that the areas where Nigeria and Obasanjo are mentioned should be edited from the film,” she said.

Akunyili and other government officials first saw the movie on Wednesday during a private screening in Abuja.

In one scene, Obesandjo tries to cut off and eat the arm of the film‘s protagonist, in an attempt to gain his supernatural powers. In others, Nigerian love-peddlers are seen courting alien customers.

The film‘s portrayal of Nigerians has also drawn the ire of critics and bloggers, and has spawned a Facebook page called ”Nigerians Offended by ‘District 9,‘” which had 57 members as at Saturday.

Corlize Luttig, marketing manager for the South African cinema chain Ster-Kinekor, which represents Sony in South Africa, said they had no comment on the request by Akunyili. Ster-Kinekor does not distribute to Nigeria, she said.

Luttig said they were still waiting for comment from Sony‘s head office in Los Angeles.

”District 9” tells the story of an alien ship that mysteriously comes to hover over the South African city of Johannesburg. Its inhabitants are separated from the human population and segregated into a walled area known as District 9. But after nearly 30 years, government officials aim to relocate the extraterrestrials, with disastrous results.

The film is the first feature from commercial and music-video director, Neill Blomkamp, who co-wrote the script with Terri Tatchell. The film, which features a cast of mostly unknown South African actors, got its big-name backing from producer and ”Lord of the Rings” director Peter Jackson.

The film garnered about $37 million (N5.7 billion) during its United States debut weekend in August. In its five-week run at U.S theatres, it has brought in an estimated $108m, according to studio estimates.

Quotation from Wikipedia on this movie:

Nigerians think everythign is personal. We cry 'wolf' everytime people criticise us meanwhile we never treat eachother well. This movie has a lot to do with the curruption of african leaders and their role in the destruction of africa. When the people need their leaders, theyre always too busy loading their pockets to attend to real issues.
Them making Obesandjo a canibal is hitting the nail on the head, cos he sold us out big time and was only ever intersted in his pocket. That was the significance of him being a canibal. One who eats his own.
 Our leaders encourage the multinational corporations in their evil dealings and this movie added that to it.

Its not like we respect ourselves, so what is this Akunyili lady talking about??

^

And thats what I mean. The world just has to portray our leaders as they really are and we run to their defence. Tell me, how and when will we start to do somethign about these leaders we abuse everyday. The symbolism IS the point. A man who 'eats' his kind.
Sorry if youre sensitive, but there are soo many other movies out there with other countries in the spotlight and we enjoy these movies. Does it occur to us that the people in those countries dont??
We want the world to say only nice things about us, but we dont do anything for that to happen.

Personally I find the movie repulsive cos Ive never liked the whole alien-theme, but the story line makes a lot of sence if one is objective

Please run that by me again.

Have you seen the movie??

Please, please, please for the sake of Mary, mother of Jesus, run it by me how it dealt with corruption and leaders loading there pockets.

Whilst you are bleeping at it, please include the institutions you studied at that awarded you any qualifications so I know which ones to petition to be closed down.

Now.If.u.can.answer.this.question.to.yourself. .You'll.be.sure.you.are.not.totally.silly.

Which.is.a.better.way.of.telling.the.world.Nigeria.is.a.beautiful.nation.?
1.Banning.a.movie.from.screening.in.Nigeria.after.the.whole.world.has.seen.it?
Or
2. Improving.Nigeria.itself. By.'rebranding'.the.minds.of.the.youth.that.crime. .cyber.fraud.and.the.likes.does.not.pay?.

And.just.for.the.record. .
If.you.stop.a.movie.from.showing.in.Nigeria. . Its.still.showin.everywhere.else.in.the.world. And.errrh. .arent.these.people.elsewhere.in.the.world.the.ones.we.should.not.allow.see.this.movie?. .
Lol. .
Think.people. . Think!
Get.your.priorities.right.!

Germany


In Germany, the home of European Union's largest Turkish community, the film was heavily criticized for its alleged racism and antisemitism by several politicians from both the right and left ends of the spectrum of mainstream German politics and in several leading newspapers. As a reviewer in the mainstream Spiegel put it, referring to the film's reliance on a revenge motif, "This wouldn't be so bad if the film didn't portray the opponents of Turks and Muslims so brutally — the bad guys in this black and white world are the Americans, the Kurds, the Christians and the Jews.

In an interview with Bild am Sonntag on February 19, 2006, Bavarian premier Edmund Stoiber called upon German theatre owners to stop showing Valley of the Wolves. Shortly afterward, Germany's largest cinema chain, CinemaxX, pulled the film, which had been popular among Germany's large Turkish community, from its theatres in response to the criticism from politicians.
The film won a Bogey Award in Germany.

United States:

The U.S. Army recommended that Army personnel overseas not approach cinemas in which the movie is played

Fool, I can talk normally. I just don't do so with retards. I have an allergy to morons.

I have seen the film and you are obviously extremely daft as your logic is faulty at every point. He was only willing to eat the guys hand as it was mutating since he only eats alien hands. If he was not mutating, he would not eat it. It was also shown earlier in the movie that he "The Nigerian" eats the alien hands.

I maintain: Mr Im-too-dumb-to-talk-normally. Stop running around the place distributing your vile words. If youre frustrated with life, crawl into a space and stay there. But please stop turning a normal conversation into an insult-sin assembly just to soothe your frustrated self ok. You can make points without abusing people. And Im free to air my opinion without being worried you might not agree with it.