Kneecap

The children of Belfast colony are found in their classroom, participating in singing “Óró Sé do bheatha abhaile,” a denote the olden Irish song in the language which is a requirement in their school. They just know the words without putting any energy into it. Two boys sitting on the further end of the classroom with earbuds are acting to be singing but still listening to a hip hop music of a local group called Kneecap. They rap using the Irish language. This isn’t something one comes across every day. This elicits one of the many enigmatic notions voiced in Rich Peppiatt’s “Kneecap,” a hilarious, vibrant film based on the true story of “Kneecap” where members of the group play a character – Liam Óg(Mo Chara’s Stage Name), Naoise Ó Cairealláin(Móglaí Bap’s Stage Name), and JJ Ó Dochartaigh(DJ Próvaí).

The Irish language was pretty much wiped out. People view it is in many cases political to speak in Irish. Kneecap was established in 2018, around the heated “debate” from Sinn Féin on its drafted Irish Language Act. The act seeks to promote the use of the Irish language to the level which will even incorporate garda interview rooms and court rooms among others. The “Óró Sé do bheatha abhaile” is a satire of the socio-political debates related to the Irish speech boundaries. In order for it to survive, a language must evolve. It must exist in today’s world. A common lullaby of venerable stock is entirely unconnected to the 21st century’s audience who performs it. But three guys who feel passionate and are yelling The children would use the most obvious to them pet phrases describing the process.

As you might expect kneecap’s music has sparked quite a stir not least because of the detailed descriptions of how much narcotics they use but even more so of their nakedness with words “BRITS” on one bum cheek and “OUT” on other one depicting the muted in the dusk capital. The newscaster shakes his head: this is the true face of the Irish language. No, the defenders of the Irish language saw Kneecap as language strikers, not language propagandists and damaging the movement.

While guarantee box was not experiencing a moment of wearing a basement audience out, the kids wore the Lyris tongue out in Irish and screamed. Isn’t this development something that one would expect the people who speak the Irish language to relish? Not really!

One particular film cannot possibly encapsulate all that pertains to the Irish language and all of its controversial history, but this is where the film “Kneecap” does quite a good job of summing everything up (and making it enjoyable). The motion picture has a typical fast paced, high energy and graphic, abrasive and creative approach that is interrupted with insert jokes, sound and visual effects (montage, drawing) and a sarcastic narration that resembles Ewan McGregor in Train spotting. As such, the development of the film is equally unapologetic on the issues of drugs and the life inWest Belfast of the people known as “Ceasefire babies”. (Lyra McKee who was a journalism fellow at the Atlantic wrote an interesting piece in 2016 entitled Suicide Among the Ceasefire Babies where she remarked that “We were the good Friday agreement generation that was free from the burdens of war. In any case though, the ghosts of that war still seemed to linger around us like a bad smell.” Much to readers’ horror, much to readers’ justified potential anger, McKee was right. In 2019, she was murdered during a riot in Derry.)

He had been a member of a para-military and with the eastern tower of Naoise Michael Fassbender on the lamb.

He says his son, “When I’m not captured, it is a victory over the occupiers psychologically.” Naoise has performed a disappearing act on Naoise as well as his depressed mother (the brilliant Simone Kirby) has lost comically in the bargain. The actions of the thieves were expounded upon in the film where Liam is sternly interrogated in a police station for not wanting to participate in speaking English. A translator is also present, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, a musician and a teacher at an irish language school married to an irish speaker. JJ finds out that Liam and Naoise have come up with a song titled “C.E.A.R.T.A.” This does not prevent him from assisting the recording in the garage converted for these purposes as a home studio.

Their initial concerts seem minor. They are in bars, where old guys are nursing their guinness staring timber-like, dumbfounded into the performance. Soon, it does. The kids started to come. JJ becomes a part of the group taking the nickname DJ Pr Ovai. Of course, he does it because he would otherwise earn a living and have a wife, which could be problematic if done too openly – he dons a balaclava on stage (in Irish tricolor of course.) They go by the name Kneecap after how robbers get their knees broken by the Irish Republican army for drug dealing. ( there is one such outfit after kneecap its called’ radical republicans against drug’ geez they are really scary, they have burnt down jj’s garage studio.) Nobody is certain about hip hop’s origins though everybody has a clue about where its evolution commenced from. The energy is lamely channeled into political aspirations that are too narrow to encompass the societies that strive to express them. Violence against women is a central theme of hip-hop and social rap is no different in this regard, although it claims to be. The reasons for the debates concerning the lyrics of N.W.A can be understood mostly from this stance, however it is not necessary to use history here. (The continuous oppression of Toomaj Salehi, the Iranian rapper is the ugliest of its type and perhaps the most crucial thing about hip hop at the moment.) Freedom of speech is threatening for governments. It is also for collectivists and cause groups, who believe that they can change the story.

The kneecap obliterates all.

Liam often associates with a girl (Jessica Reynolds) from a different socio-economic background who has a differnt political ideology than himself. Their copulation is exciting including elements of role play with balaclavas and political arguments during intercourse. (Is it “North of Ireland” or “Northern Ireland”? Hot!) During one exchange, Liam angrily quotes the Irish 1916 Proclamation. No, this does not feel cheeky or contrived. This feels domestic. Some audiences may have to use the footnotes. The film hurtles on without you.

It was a daring move to have the members of the Kneecap cast be themselves, and it pays off. It is funny and unselfconscious and actors like Fassbender and Kirby help everyone to shine. Kneecap is about a lot of things and its tempo makes it impossible to not get carried away. I had been keeping up with Kneecap for some time without knowing their origin. “Kneecap” is not a triumphant success story of the underprivileged. It is the right of every person to speak whatever they wish, to speak out against the forces that govern their existence, and speak against that and foster an alternative. And yes, the urge to write on their buttocks, “BRITS OUT”. Yes, that’s also freedom of speech.

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