They love ketamine and hate the Queen: Kneecap is the first Belfast-based group to perform in Irish Gaelic – and they’re sparking a countercultural language revolution in Northern Ireland. This film tells their (almost) true story: rebellious, brazen, and soaked in anarchic humor. Once the dominant language until the 19th century, Irish Gaelic has been reduced to only about 80,000 speakers in Ireland today due to centuries of British suppression. In 2017, three of those speakers – two former drug dealers and a music teacher – founded Kneecap, a hip-hop group quickly embraced by young Irish people born after the Troubles but still shaped by its lingering trauma, hopelessness, and systemic inequality. The band was born in response to a UK government initiative aimed at removing Irish from legal use – a move seen as a death sentence for the language. Kneecap is made up of music teacher J.J. Ó Dochartaigh (a.k.a. the always-masked DJ Próvaí) and former drug dealers and childhood best friends Mo Chara and Móglaí Bap, whose rebellious spirit was forged in part by Bap’s father, a former IRA member who, even in death, refused to give up the fight (portrayed in the film by Michael Fassbender). Politically outspoken, the trio joined forces with director Rich Peppiatt to create a layered, fast-paced, and fiercely political Northern Irish take on Trainspotting. The result? Six BAFTA nominations (!), to which the band cheekily responded: Swap you six BAFTAs for the six counties – a reference to the six counties of Northern Ireland still under UK governance. Maybe it’s shite to be Scottish, but being Irish hasn’t felt this cool in years. Brits out!
Their activism is more than just performance. Kneecap took the UK’s Tory government to court – and won – after being denied public funding due to their anti-British (really anti-colonial, anti-imperialist, and anti-capitalist) stance. More recently, after expressing pro-Palestinian views during their set at Coachella, they faced scrutiny by the UK’s counter-terrorism police and calls from politicians to revoke their visas. But Kneecap stands firm in their message of solidarity, love, and hope, shining a light on who the real criminals are: the shameless leaders of governments complicit in genocide, and that is where, they insist, our rage should be directed. (Dina Pokrajac)
Awards and Festivals:
Sundance Film Festival (2024) – Audience Award; Lisbon Film Festival (2024) – Best Film; Palm Springs International Film Festival (2024) – FIPRESCI Prize; BAFTA (2025) – Best Debut Film, six total nominations; IFTA (2025) – Best Director; European Film Awards (2024) – Two nominations (European University Film Award and European Discovery); Les Arcs European Film Festival (2024) – Three awards
Rich Peppiatt (b. 1984) is a director and screenwriter. His first feature-length film, the mockumentary One Rogue Reporter, was released in 2014. Kneecap (2024) is his first narrative feature, based on the real-life controversial Irish hip hop trio. Premiering at the Sundance Film Festival, the film has won over 25 international awards, including the BAFTA for Best Debut Film.
