KNEECAP

When fate brings Belfast schoolteacher JJ into the orbit of self-confessed ‘low life scum’ Naoise and Liam Og, the needle drops on a hip hop act like no other.  Rapping in their native Irish language, Kneecap fast become the unlikely figureheads of a Civil Rights movement to save their mother tongue.  But the trio must first overcome police, paramilitaries and politicians trying to silence their defiant sound — whilst their anarchic approach to life often makes them their own worst enemies. In this fiercely original sex, drugs and hip-hop biopic Kneecap play themselves, laying down a global rallying cry for the defense of native cultures.

It’s not often that musicians burst onto the screen looking like professional actors but the Kneecap crew are absolutely consummate.  Director Rich Peppiatt‘s fearless collaborative approach has turned into a ripping film which deservedly walked away with the Audience Award at Sundance this year.

‘Every word of Irish spoken is a bullet for Irish freedom.’