KNEECAP’s Irish Language Film Just Made History At Sundance

 

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The “coolness” of the Irish language has been rising and rising in recent years.

With An Cailín Ciúin making waves at the Oscars last year, Paul Mescal speaking as Gaeilge on the red carpet and Grá ar an Trá hitting our screens over the summer, being a Gaeilgoir is chic!

And now an Irish language film has been selected for the Sundance Film Festival for the first time in history.

The film follows Belfast rap group KNEECAP Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí in their acting debuts.

 

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And they’ll be joined by some A-Listers including Michael Fassbender, Simone Kirby and Josie Walker.

The film is set in West Belfast in 2019, it chronicles how fate brings the trio together and how they then go on to “change the sound of Irish music forever”.

The film will have its world premiere at the renowned Sundance Film Festival in Utah where it will screen on the opening night on Thursday 18^th January.

Speaking about the world premiere writer and director Rich Peppiatt said: “When I first set out to make a film in a language I didn’t speak, set in a place I’m not from, little could I have imagined four years later we would be introducing KNEECAP the movie to the world at the Mecca of Independent cinema. It’s an honour to be breaking new ground for Irish language cinema with a film that surprises & provokes every bit as much as KNEECAP’s music.”

 

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KNEECAP added: “We are buzzing to be premiering at Sundance. Wherever we go we aim to smash preconceptions about cultural identity, language and highlight the role of the working classes to overthrow oppressive power. To now bring this message from the streets of West Belfast to the big screen is f*cking excellent. We’re immensely proud of the film and can’t wait to get it to cinemas around the world.”

KNEECAP, the film, will be released in Irish cinemas in 2024.

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