Michael Fassbender is tapping into his Northern Irish roots for a musical biopic.
Fassbender co-stars in “Kneecap,” based on the eponymous rap group, comprised of Naoise Ó Cairealláin, JJ Ó Dochartaigh, and Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh , who all star in the fictionalized origin story.
The official logline reads: “When fate brings Belfast schoolteacher JJ into the orbit of self-confessed ‘low life scum’ Naoise and Liam Og, the needle drops on a hip hop act like no other.”
Fassbender plays Cairealláin’s onscreen dad Arlo, with Simone Kirby as his mother Dolores. Of course, the Kneecap crew all take on different stage monikers, with Cairealláin as Móglaí Bap, Dochartaigh as Dj Provaí, and Hannaidh as Mo Chara.
“Kneecap” charts how the rap group of the same name became part of a campaign to save the Irish language in Northern Ireland. As the official press statement included, since Kneecap raps in their native Irish language, the crew became unlikely leaders of a civil rights movement to save their mother tongue. Yet the trio have to overcome police, paramilitaries, and politicians to create their defiant sound.
As “Kneecap” actor/singer Cairealláin raps, “Every word of Irish spoken is a bullet at British imperialism.”
Josie Walker, Fionnuala Flaherty, Jessica Reynolds, and Adam Best also star.
Rich Peppiatt writes and directs the film, which is produced by Trevor Birney and Jack Tarling. Patrick O’Neill co-produces. The film is funded in part by the BFI along with Curzon Films, Charades, Mother Tongues, Northern Ireland Screen, Irish Language Broadcast Fund, TG4, Grand Point Media, and Screen Ireland.
“Kneecap” won an Audience Award at Sundance 2024 and went on to screen at SXSW, Sundance London, and Tribeca.
“From the moment Kneecap burst onto the music scene their unique talent and magnetism has belied their ostensibly niche output,” writer/director Peppiatt said. “We are all so proud and excited to bring this film to North American audiences, and in doing so break new ground for Irish language cinema.”
The IndieWire review praised how all three members of Kneecap centered “grounded, clever performances as characters close enough to their own stories, without it ever feeling like a documentary.” The feature exhibits a “Waititian” comedic style, echoing the fact that Fassbender starred in Taika Waititi’s “Next Goal Wins.”
“Kneecap” premieres August 2 in theaters from Sony Pictures Classics. Check out the trailer below.
