Culture Interviews Cinema & Tv Film festivals Sundance London

Kneecap: On the red carpet with Michael Fassbender, Jessica Reynolds, Fionnula Flaherty, Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí at Sundance London 2024

Kneecap: On the red carpet with Michael Fassbender, Jessica Reynolds, Fionnula Flaherty, Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí at Sundance London 2024

This comedy-drama film Kneecap is a biopic on the Belfast-based hip-hop trio Kneecap and how they rose to prominence creating music featuring their native Irish language. The narrative of their songwriting is anarchic, political and hedonistic, often challenging authorities to get their music heard. The film reflects their personal journey from childhood friends to sell-out gigs, drug-fuelled binges and political conflicts, all shaped for screen by creator Rich Peppiat with cinematography from Ryan Kernaghan.

The musical trio are made up of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí who all play themselves in the film, whilst award-winning actor Michael Fassbender comes on board in a supporting role to play one of the musician’s dad Arlo Ó Cairealláin. The movie has already garnered success, winning the prestigious Audience Award at the Sundance Film Festival, being the first-ever Irish language film to premiere there.

The Upcoming had the pleasure of speaking to the writer and director Rich Peppiatt about how he managed to persuade the band to let him bring their story to life and the importance of some of the bigger themes within the story.

We spoke to Michael Fassbender about what drew him to the script, his role in the feature and what it was like being on set with Kneecap.

Kneecap spoke about how they all met, the controversial side to their work but also the importance of keeping the native Irish language alive.

We spoke to Jessica Reynolds and Fionnula Flaherty about heading into this story, what it meant to them and what they liked about the context of the film.

Ezelle Alblas

Kneecap does not have a UK release date yet.

For further information about Sundance London 2024 visit here.

Read more reviews from the festival here.

Watch the trailer for Kneecap here:

More in Cinema & Tv

Song Sung Blue

Antonia Georgiou

Oh, Canada

Selina Sondermann

Tell Me Lies season three

Antonia Georgiou

A Thousand Blows season two

Andrew Murray

People We Meet on Vacation

Selina Sondermann

New documentary Beyond Trainspotting explores Irvine Welsh’s legacy ahead of 30ᵗʰ anniversary release

The editorial unit

Matt Damon and Ben Affleck reunite in Miami crime thriller The Rip, releasing globally on Netflix 16ᵗʰ January

The editorial unit

Kinoteka 2026 unveils programme with Wajda centenary, Jan Komasa’s The Good Boy and Agnieszka Holland’s Franz

The editorial unit

Heated Rivalry

Antonia Georgiou