- Words Liam Cattermole
- Photography Patrick Dempsey
The Rich Peppiatt-directed, Michael Fassbender-starring KNEECAP is out now, and to celebrate on the eve of its release, fans headed down to Curzon Soho for a sneak preview and panel discussion with the Belfast boys.
In a city still scarred by the legacy of conflict, a surprising new voice is emerging, amplified by the beat of rebellious rap and the rhythm of a centuries-old language. The story of KNEECAP, an anarchic rap group from Belfast and our NOTION 95 cover stars, is as much about their music as it is about a broader cultural revival, spearheading a movement to reinvigorate the Irish language and reaffirm Northern Ireland’s national identity.
Last night, their fans were invited to a special screening of the Rich Peppiatt-directed, semi-fictionalised dramady at Curzon Soho, which hits cinemas across the country today. KNEECAP’s three members, Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí were in the building for an exclusive panel discussion, tracing the trio’s unlikely rise from the streets of post-Troubles Belfast to becoming one of the world’s most exciting and talked about rap groups.
Out of the 80,000 native Irish speakers, only about 6,000 reside in Northern Ireland. The film follows three of them —Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and their high school teacher-turned-mentor JJ Ó Dochartaigh— who defy the odds by forming a rap group that grows into an unexpected cultural force. Known as KNEECAP, this politically charged trio delivers lyrics in their native tongue, channelling the spirit of defiance that echoes through Northern Ireland’s tumultuous history.
Liam Óg and Naoise, childhood friends bound by a shared love of mischief, spend their days in a haze of drugs and parties, drifting aimlessly through a city still healing from decades of strife. Their lives take an unexpected turn when they cross paths with JJ, a high school teacher with a deep passion for the Irish language and a partner who is at the forefront of a campaign to have it recognised as an official language of Northern Ireland. JJ, seeing the potential in the brash energy of his two protégés, seizes the chance to merge their youthful rebellion with a cause larger than themselves.
We don’t want to give too much away. As a packed Curzon Soho found out last night, the film is well worth seeing. Don’t believe us? Ask the people at Sundance Film Festival, where KNEECAP rode around in a spray-painted Northern Irish police vehicle while flares went up in a cloud of green smoke. The trio went on to win the Sundance Audience Award.