So this takes place like 150 years in the future. There is now a "Ring" orbiting Earth where all the Rich people live- it is basically a utopia and Earth itself has degraded into a giant resource depleted shithole. It is the dream of all the poor masses to somehow, one day, make it up to the ring called Elysium.
From the director and co-writer of District 9.
Here was an interesting quote ABC News said while previewing the movie-
"In order to show what a run down Los Angeles will look like in 150 years the director shot on site in some of the biggest slums of Mexico City."
Wow... Have to be someone in Hollywood to get away with a statement like that.