Kneecap

Fantastically outlandish biopic about the anarchic Belfast rap trio and their fight to save the Irish language.

This adrenaline-fuelled ride through the back streets of Belfast sees the most unlikely of figureheads propelled to preserve their native tongue. Friends Liam Óg and Naoise find themselves disenfranchised and uninterested in much beyond having a good time. When a chance encounter with a music teacher sparks the creation of the first group to rap in Irish, everything changes.

The trio’s anarchic energy and lyrics reflect a resentment felt throughout their runaway train of a following, transforming their anger into a hedonistic rallying cry. But looming over the party atmosphere is the shadow of Naoise’s presumed-dead father, an IRA man of legend and infamy, and the oppressive eye of the law. Holding the same antipathy for the conventions of the music biopic as it does for colonial legacies, Peppiat’s film overflows with the fearless humour and livewire creativity that fuelled the band’s real-life ascent. There is genuine fury behind the cheeky winks and civil disobedience, but no soapbox to be found, only a beer-soaked stage and an electrified audience. Kneecap was made with the support of the BFI, awarding National Lottery funding.