Kneecap reveal new details on their upcoming film ahead of its Sundance premiere next week

Kneecap have released details about their eponymous Irish language film Kneecap, which is set to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival next week, making it the first ever Irish language film to do so.

Set in present day West Belfast, the film follows the hip hop trio who became unlikely crusaders in the official languages amendment act, when their track C.E.A.R.T.A propelled the group into national notoriety when their track was banned from Radió na Gaeltacha for its use of "drug references and cursing".

Speaking on BBC Radio 6's New Music Fix, the band revealed Michael Fassbender's role in the film, shed light on the writing process and described it as 'one for the whole family to enjoy".

The band said that the film came about after the movie's director Rich Peppiatt, came to one of their gigs in 2019 and approached the trio afterwards asking if they would be interested in doing a film.

"It's not every day that somebody offers to make a film about you" says Moglaí Bap "We all obviously jumped at it and we cowrote it with him".

"Obviously Covid happened and it all kind of fell apart but then in early 2023 we filmed it over six weeks and now we are going to Sundance in Utah".

'It's based on the group - on Mo Chara, Moglaí Bap, and DJ Provaí - the characters of Kneecap. Its a dramatised version of stories from the songs, stories from real life and some show biz storylines based through it" says Mo Chara.

Moglaí Bap picks up: "All the the three characters kind of have three different dynamics going on.

"DJ Provaí is a teacher and he struggles with leading the life of a teacher while also trying to balance the life of a hip-hop DJ. I have a family dynamic and he has a girlfriend dynamic" - Mogalí Bap motions to Mo Chara

"We all have wee different themes going on and the movie intertwines between them all" continues Moglaí Bap

The trio also revealed the role that the twice academy award nominated actor Michael Fassbender plays in the film.

"Michael Fassbender plays my da in the movie" Bap says "and he like an ex IRA member who taught me Irish. But because we use the irish language way is such a scum baggy way he refuses to respect it and refuses to speak Irish to me".

"So there's a lot going on, it's a very paced movie" says Mogalí Bap, "But I think it's one for the whole family to enjoy".

Mo Chara takes up the mantle saying: "It's a film that explores a lot to do with identity".

DJ Provaí chimes in saying "It's about language rights".

"It touches on a lot of things" agrees mo Chara

Kneecap also shared their music on the show, including their tracks H.O.O.D. and their latest offering 'Better Way to Live'.

Playing their track H.O.O.D, the trio described it as a track that opened them up to a wider audience, and that it fed off the punk scene in Belfast but most importantly 'If you want to go to the gym, or go for a run or run away from the police, this song is going to be perfect for you".

The band also spoke about their training for their roles and the transition into the world of acting performances but also of the writing process saying:

"I think the issue we kept running into is the first half of what we were writing was brilliant"

"When we were sober!" interjects Moglaí Bap.

Mo Chara agrees saying: "the film couple of pages were dynamite but after the few cans of Guinness hit the writing started to suffer.

"So it took us a few years but we ended up getting there".

"We want to represent a the new wave of Irish language speakers.

"In the North there were no Irish language primary schools before 1972. There was no Irish language secondary school before 1991. So our generation is the first that has the opportunity to speak Irish in a post war country" tells Moglaí Bap.

"I think we want people to come and see that there's this new world in Belfast".