Showtimes August 2 - 8:

Based on a real-life rap trio who play themselves in the film, Kneecap tells the story of Liam and Naoise, two working class boys whose talents come to the attention of a local music teacher, JJ. When he reads their lyrics in a notebook, JJ not only offers to record the boys’ songs, but he soon finds himself performing anonymously alongside them in an effort to amplify their words and liberate the Irish language.

Performing at the very same time that people were fighting for a legal referendum to make Irish an officially recognized language in The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland, the trio’s approach to sovereignty ran up against the respectability politics preached by some — including JJ’s activist wife, a few oppressive cops, and a paramilitary group wary of the band’s image. But in the grand tradition of musical rebels everywhere, Kneecap’s music provided an emotional outlet for people, leading them to become an emblem for many Irish natives in their fight against imperialism. Fun and fearless from start to finish, by its rapturous conclusion, this film is a reminder of how music can help communities define their differences and maintain common cultural ground.

(Ireland / 2024 / Directed by Rich Peppiatt)
R / 1 hr 45 mins
In English and Irish with subtitles