District 9 (2009) – Filming Locations
Science Fiction · Directed by Neill Blomkamp · Starring Sharlto Copley, Nathalie Boltt
Thirty years ago, aliens arrive on Earth. Not to conquer or give aid, but to find refuge from their dying planet. Separated from humans in a South African area called District 9, the aliens are managed by Multi-National United, which is unconcerned with the aliens' welfare but will do anything to master their advanced technology. When a company field agent contracts a mysterious virus that begins to alter his DNA, there is only one place he can hide: District 9.
Where was District 9 filmed?
- Johannesburg, South Africa, Johannesburg – The alien settlement and slum where the prawns live; primary location for establishing the oppressive district. The actual Johannesburg township served as the real-world setting for District 9, chosen for its visual authenticity and socio-political resonance as a genuine marginalized community
- Johannesburg, South Africa, Johannesburg – MNU headquarters and industrial facilities where much of the action and weapons testing occurs. The gritty industrial zone outside Johannesburg provided the backdrop for the corporate militaristic operations and laboratory sequences
- Johannesburg, South Africa, Johannesburg – Extended action sequences and chase scenes through densely populated township streets. The documentary-realism style required authentic township geography; Alexandra's narrow streets and structures provided the setting for climactic action sequences
- Pretoria, South Africa, Pretoria – Government offices and institutional locations representing apartheid-era bureaucracy. South Africa's administrative capital provided authentic governmental architecture to underscore the film's apartheid parallels and official institutional power