Kneecap

When fate brings Belfast teacher 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, they lead a movement to save their mother tongue.

Film Credits

Original Language: Irish Gaelic, English
Production Countries: Ireland, United Kingdom
Duration: 105 min.

Directed by: Rich Peppiatt
Written by: Rich Peppiatt, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh
Produced by: Patrick O’Neill, Trevor Birney, Jack Tarling
Cinematography: Ryan Kernaghan
Editing: Julian Ulrichs, Chris Gill
Production Design: Nicola Moroney
Costume Design: Zjena Glamocanin
Make-Up & Hair: Liz Boston
Original Score: Michael Asante
Sound: Chris Woodcock, Aza Hand
Visual Effects: Kevin Cahill
Casting: Carla Stronge
Cast: JJ Ó Dochartaigh (DJ Provaí), Naoise Ó Cairealláin (Móglaí Bap), Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh (Mo Chara), Michael Fassbender (Arlo), Josie Walker (Detective Ellis), Simone Kirby (Dolores), Jessica Reynolds (Georgia), Fionnuala Flaherty (Caitlin)

 

About the director

Rich Peppiatt is a writer & director working across film, TV and commercials. His debut feature, documentary One Rogue Reporter, was adapted from his critically-lauded
comedy stage show of the same name, which debuted in 2012 at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, before embarking on a national tour. The film premiered at Sheffield Doc/Fest and was nominated for Best Independent Feature at the 2014 National Film Awards. It was acquired by Netflix in a multi-territory deal. Rich has gone on to write over 25 hours of prime time television, which have won awards including a Scottish RTS & BAFTA. He has written and directed a number of short films which have screened at leading International
film festivals. His last short, Grounded, was long-listed for the 2020 Academy Awards. As a former journalist, who became a prominent critic of the tabloid newspaper industry during the Leveson Inquiry, Rich has spoken about his work on the likes of BBC Radio 4, Channel 4 News, Newsnight, Sky News and PBS, as well as writing op-eds for the Guardian, Independent, The Big Issue and Total Politics. In 2024 Peppiatt wrote and directed his first narrative feature film Kneecap. The film premiered at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, winning the NEXT Audience Award. Kneecap has been selected as Ireland’s entry for the 2025 Academy Awards. He lives in Belfast.

My intention was to create a film that portrays the downfall of a couple's relationship. The concept was to depict the physical and emotional descent of a body in a technical manner, symbolizing the decline of their love story.
This couple has a son who discovers their tumultuous relationship during a trial that scrutinizes every aspect of their past. As the trial unfolds, the boy transitions from a state of complete trust in his mother to one of doubt, marking a crucial turning point in his life. The film follows this transformation closely.
In my previous films, children were present but silent, merely existing in the background. However, in this film, I wanted to incorporate the child's perspective into the narrative and juxtapose it with Sandra's, the main character, for a more balanced portrayal of the events.
The film took on the form of an extended interrogation, with scenes shifting from the couple's home to the courtroom, where characters are incessantly questioned. I aimed to bring a sense of realism, approaching a documentary style both in the writing and the cinematography. However, I also wanted to delve deeper into the intricacies of the story and evoke a range of emotions in the audience. In pursuit of this goal, I opted for greater simplicity: the absence of additional music and a raw, unembellished tone that sets this film apart from my earlier works. (Justine Triet)

 

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