“Every fucking story about Belfast starts like this…” is narrated and followed by a montage of the troubles. “But not this one”. We’re about to be taken on a uniquely thought-provoking journey.
“Kneecap” the movie is predominantly spoken in the Irish language “Gaeilge” It was the first Irish language film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, where it won an award in 2024 for “Audience Award”
From the get-go, the plot is left open and leaves us unsure of what will happen next, this theme runs throughout the movie with comedic and political twists and turns. It’s narrated authentically and structured beautifully. The characters are fictional but relatable and intriguingly likeable; we follow their journeys intently in this cleverly written and artistically themed movie.
It has a humorous approach to serious subjects which are delivered in a genius way. It’s a story of how Music is one of the greatest forms of self-expression and has reignited our love for the Irish language and inspired the younger generation to speak it more often. “Every word of Gaeilge spoken is a bullet for our freedom.”
Kneecap’s Music is woven into the movie at a perfect pace, it’s a modern take on their own version of a musical.
Throughout the movie, we see scenes of Belfast’s creative city. It highlights the struggles and judgements young people face here as well as the complexities of the music industry and how artists’ expressions can be silenced for profit.
Clever images of the divide are woven throughout. It highlights the times when “Gaeilge” could only be spoken in private in History and its cultural importance and significance today. It also highlights the passing of the “Identity and Language Act 2022”. My favourite quote from the movie is “Sometimes change hits like a dirty bassline.”
I laughed a lot, cried a lot and learned a lot while watching. It left me feeling hopeful and wholesome.
Stories are built from language and this is their story. Not every story about Belfast ends like this either.
