New Trailer Released for Irish Hip Hop Film “Kneecap"

Kneecap, the dynamic Irish hip hop trio from West Belfast, is set to electrify audiences once again with the upcoming release of their “mostly true” biographical film, "Kneecap."

The trio, consisting of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí, is known for rapping in a unique blend of English and Irish, with lyrics that often explore republican themes. Their first single, "C.E.A.R.T.A." (Irish for "Rights"), dropped in 2017, followed by their debut album, "3CAG," in 2018. Their sophomore album, "Fine Art," was released in 2024, and now the much-anticipated film about their journey is set to hit theaters later this summer.

Kneecap’s music is a powerful mix of Irish and English, satire and social consciousness, reality and absurdity. Their voice emanates from the often overlooked and deprived areas of Northern Ireland, speaking in a language that is frequently ignored, creating a compelling and electrifying experience. Their spectacular rise has included sold-out tours in the US and UK, with even bigger plans on the horizon. Whether or not you understand all their lyrics, Kneecap's impact is undeniable.

"Every word of Irish spoken is a bullet fired for Irish freedom."

Sony Pictures Classics has just released the official US trailer for the energetic hip hop musical film "Kneecap," which premiered at Sundance earlier this year to near-universal acclaim. This film, based on the origin story of the riotous and groundbreaking Irish-language rap trio, stars the band's original members Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap, and DJ Próvaí (Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, and JJ Ó Dochartaigh) in their acting debuts. The film also features Oscar-nominated actor Michael Fassbender, alongside Simone Kirby, Jessica Reynolds, Fionnuala Flaherty, and Josie Walker.

Set in West Belfast in 2019, "Kneecap" chronicles the trio's formation and their subsequent revolutionary impact on Irish music. The film won the Next Audience Award at Sundance and is poised to be a massive hit. "Kneecap" is directed by Irish filmmaker Rich Peppiatt, with a screenplay by Peppiatt, Móglaí Bap, Mo Chara, and DJ Próvaí, and produced by Trevor Birney and Jack Tarling.

As introduced at Sundance: "There are 80,000 native Irish speakers in Ireland. 6,000 live in the North of Ireland. Three of them became a rap group called Kneecap. This anarchic Belfast trio become unlikely figureheads of a civil rights movement to save their mother tongue. Bursting forth from an often unpredictable and raucous post-Troubles Belfast, Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh, Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh leap onto the screen to play themselves in this heightened & wildly entertaining tale of Kneecap's origins, with Fassbender in tow as the charismatic father figure turned political martyr. Armed with a blend of English and native Irish verses and blazing, politically charged rhymes, Kneecap’s music takes us on a ketamine-fueled, rollicking trip to encounter the meaning of pure defiance."

Armed with a blend of English and native Irish verses and blazing, politically charged rhymes, Kneecap’s music takes us on a ketamine-fueled, rollicking trip to encounter the meaning of pure defiance. This Irish film, the first in the Irish language to premiere at Sundance, is being described as the must-see event of the year.

"Kneecap" will be opening in theatres in Irish cinemas on August 8th, 2024.