Neill Blomkamp and Sharlto Copley: District 9

I had the wonderful opportunity to interview first-time feature writer/director Neill Blomkamp and Sharlto Copley, who plays Wikus Van De Merwe, of TriStar Pictures’ upcoming sci-fi motion picture, District 9.

Instead of throwing them the conventional questions, I wanted to touch upon the social themes of their film, and the experience of getting producers to back an unusual take on Apartheid and racism. It puzzled me that Mr. Blomkamp kept stressing that this is a science fiction film, and not just an allegory to apartheid… as if to suggest that the young director, just 29 years old, hasn’t quite grasped the magnitude of the social commentary he’s unleashed or the impact it will have on the ongoing dialogues about race relations.

If you are on a slower connection, you can view a smaller (320×240, 15MB) video of this interview by clicking here.

A full review of the film will be published when it opens Friday, August 14.

Alive in Joburg, the stunning film short that District 9 expands upon, also written and directed by Neill Blomkamp and produced by Sharlto Copley: