Alive in Joburg

Alive in Joburg

The plot


This short by Neill Blomkamp depicts a fictional world where extraterrestrials have become refugees in South Africa. At first the aliens are accepted into the South African society, however the aliens begin to commit crimes which cause tension between them and the South African people. The film takes place during the apartheid, therefore the government felt that the aliens should live with and alongside the already oppressed black population.

The film stays in touch with many of the codes and convention in a science fiction film, it firstly includes aliens, spaceships and advances technology such as the ‘bio-suits worn by the aliens. Secondly the science fiction genre often aims to address political and social issues, the film clearly does this. This is shown through the fact that it is filmed during apartheid, I believe that the film addresses the cruelty of this oppressive regime and I feel that the aliens in reality represent the black population in South Africa as they are treated in same horrific ways as the black population in the film, such as they both live in poverty.
Despite the fact that its framed in a documentary format, which the constant use of interviews and hand held shots, the methods of filming still stays in touch with the science fiction genre this is shown through how its uses CGI and special effects to depict the aliens in the ‘bio-suits’, the soldiers and the hovering space ship.

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