"District 9" takes place in an alternate 2010, where an alien spacecraft has been stranded on Earth for over 20 years, hovering above Johannesburg, South Africa. The aliens, derogatorily referred to as "Prawns" due to their physical appearance, are initially welcomed by the government, but soon become a burden. They are confined to a government-controlled refugee camp called District 9, where they live in squalid conditions.