Kneecap at G.F.T.
22 – 25 September, 2024
Of the 80,000 native Irish speakers, 6,000 live in the North of Ireland and three of them became a rap group called Kneecap. This is the real-life story of how this anarchic Belfast trio became the unlikely figureheads of a civil rights movement to save and reinvigorate their mother tongue.
Rich Peppiatt’s raucous and infectious debut feature is a heightened tale of Kneecap’s origin story. Set in post-troubles Belfast, childhood best friends Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh and Naoise Ó Cairealláin live debaucherously, selling drugs and partying to pass the time, but when they inadvertently cross paths with high school teacher JJ Ó Dochartaigh, things begin down a path none of them saw coming. At the same time, a civil rights movement, led by JJ’s partner, is fighting for the right to have the Irish language instated as an official language of Northern Ireland. With this political backdrop, JJ sees an opportunity to use music to further the cause. Following in the footsteps of Naoise’s father (played by Michael Fassbender), an IRA stalwart who instilled in them the power of language and culture, the three of them form Kneecap, a politically-charged, anti-establishment rap trio who rap in Irish and embody the spirit of defiance.
As they struggle to make their mark, and external pressures threaten to pull the plug on their dreams, the trio weave a narrative that transcends music, and tells the story of how they became an unlikely political symbol of youth culture, national identity and cultural pride.
GFT, 12 Rose Street, Glasgow G3 6RB
Prize Draw
Everyone who books a ticket for any of Kneecap screenings at GFT will automatically be entered into a prize draw to win an exclusive Kneecap merchandise bundle in partnership with Curzon. The merch bundle includes:
– Official KNEECAP bucket hat (black/green, as seen at the London premiere)
– Official KNEECAP tote bag
– Official KNEECAP ‘Mind Your Language’ and ‘British Advisory Irish Language’ stickers
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