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KNEECAP HAS MISSED out on the award for ‘outstanding British film’ at the Baftas, but director Rich Peppiatt scooped the award for ‘outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer’.
The film, which is a dramatised depiction of the rise of the Belfast rap trio of the same name who find themselves inadvertently becoming the face of a movement to preserve the Irish language, lost out to Conclave in the category recognising best British film.
The papal thriller, adapted from Robert Harris’s 2016 novel, stars Ralph Fiennes as a cardinal who is tasked with overseeing the election of a new Pope while experiencing his own crisis of faith.
Lisburn-born Nick Emerson also won the ‘best editing’ Bafta for his work on the film, which is thought to be a strong contender for the Oscars next month.
Musicians Mo Chara (Liam Óg Ó hAnnaidh), Móglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Cairealláin) and DJ Próvaí (J.J. Ó Dochartaigh) made their acting debuts in Kneecap, which also stars Michael Fassbender, Simone Kirby, Jessica Reynolds and Fionnuala Flaherty.
Accepting the award for outstanding debut at the Royal Festival Hall in London this evening, Peppiatt said he was “absolutely honoured to be standing here”.
“Fifteen years ago today, I actually met my wife and a decade later, she convinced me to move to Belfast. Within two weeks of moving to Belfast, I met Kneecap, and now I’m standing here,” he said.
It’s more than a film. It’s a movement and it’s about how everyone should have their language respected, their culture respected and their homeland respected.
“This award is dedicated to everyone who is out there fighting that fight.”
Kneecap was nominated for six Baftas overall. It also missed out on the awards for film not in the English language, original screenplay, casting and editing.
Since its release last year, the film has enjoyed continued success. It dominated at the British Independent Film Awards, taking home seven awards, including Best British Independent Film and Best Debut Screenwriter for its writer and director Rich Peppiatt.
On Friday, the film also took home four Irish Film and Television Academy (Ifta) awards for Costume Design, Editing, Casting and Best Director for Peppiatt.
It was named on the shortlist for Best International Feature Film and Best Original Song for the Oscars, but missed out on a nomination.
Speaking on the red carpet before the ceremony, Peppiatt said that despite the disappointment of missing out on an Oscar nomination, the band and those involved in the film have a lot to celebrate.
“The film has had so much success that you can barely look at it and go we fell at the final, the biggest hurdle of them all. We are very proud of what we have done,” he said.
“When we set out to make this film, we just wanted it to be a film that the people in the north of Ireland would enjoy.
“That’s it and the fact that it has found a global audience and we have travelled all around the world with it is something far beyond what we could have fathomed and it has been a great experience over the last year. We will have a lie down now.”
After forming in 2017, Kneecap gained acclaim for their blend of Irish and English rap about the realities of growing up in post-Troubles Belfast. It was first featured on Irish radio by late-Raidió na Gaeltachta broadcaster Rónán Mac Aodha Bhuí.
The film is hard to put a label on due to its unique storytelling. There are hints of Trainspotting in its energy and depiction of sex, drugs and politics. In one scene, we see Gerry Adams appear to the group in a ketamine-fuelled hallucination. In another, there’s a chase involving Orange Men and a Union Jack baton.
The black comedy also tackles the problematic legacy of the Troubles and their impact on the ‘ceasefire babies’ who inherited it. While the conflict ended, the signs of what came before remained.
It has not been without its controversy, and was even involved in a funding dispute with the former UK government when then-business secretary and now Tory leader Kemi Badenoch reversed a decision to award them a £14,250 (€17,127) funding grant. Kneecap filed a legal challenge – and won.
Ultimately, the film is a love letter to the Irish language and cultural preservation. “For many years, I think there’s been waves of stories coming from Ireland, and in some ways, they respond and react to what’s gone before,” Gráinne Humphreys, executive director of the Dublin International Film Festival, told The Journal.
“What’s been wonderful to see about the Irish language wave of films is the brilliance of the acting and the stories, and the way in which An Cailín Ciúin took on this massive position and space in people’s hearts, not just in Ireland, but internationally.
“I feel like Kneecap is just leading into responding, reacting and going in a completely different direction.
‘You think that this is one kind of Irish language cinema? Well, here’s a completely different version of it’.
“It’s punky and loud and bold and outrageous. With the exception of Michael Fassbender and some other members of the cast, for the most part, it’s about three non-actors. It’s very definitely a kind of two fingers and a deliberate provocation to a particular kind of storytelling.
“There’s definitely a youth and an energy to it, there’s a newness, a contemporariness about it. There’s an anger, there’s a sense of fun that maybe is sometimes absent from some of our films and people are just responding to that.”
Humphreys said the film benefited from having its premiere at the Sundance Film Festival last year, becoming the first ever Irish language film to do so and taking home the Audience Award at the event.
“I think going to Sundance made people think it was cool. People saw it premiere there, thought that it was one of the breakout hits, people were interested in seeing it,” she said.
My mum went to see it, and I did not expect my mum to say that she would go to see Kneecap, but in her words: ‘Everybody was talking about it. I had to see what they were saying’.
Humphreys pointed out that many people who were unfamiliar with the group or their politics were also drawn in by a “very clever marketing campaign”, the critical response, and the idea that they would go to the cinema and have a good time.
“I think people forget that. Film is an art form, it’s an industry, but it’s also entertainment, and I think the thing about Kneecap is a lot of people came out and wanted to see it again immediately. They wanted their friends to see it. That kind of word of mouth is really important.”
With reporting from Press Association
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I think this was obvious to everyone but when dealing with British MPs you need to spell it out like your talking to children
@Jamie: An EU border on the southern side of the border manned by the new EU army, Surely its the end of the CTA now. Well done Leo….
@Paul Darby: how about an election here, for an Irexit , and jump ship with out neighbors?
@Gerry Campbell: it’s the wet dream of Irexit supporters for Ireland to be under the thumb of the UK again. Why else are they so happy to invite the little englanders to their rallys?
@Barry Somers: Don’t worry Ireland will have to pay up now and contribute the money to keep the poorer states of the EU up to standard. Give it another 30 years and the might wake up.
@Paul Darby: We got money from EU for long enough. About time we paid our share. (And don‘t come out with that Ireland paid for Europe’s banking crisis. Irish people were up to their necks in debt and the country was badly run. It was self inflicted.)
@Paul Darby: Yeah cause Leo is to blame here….it’s not like brexit is at all responsible.
@Gerry Campbell: jump ship to what exactly , I’d love to know because the grits haven’t got a clue. Apart from some rich Tory supporters are going to get a lot. Richer.
@Gerry Campbell: I was going to say “what have you been drinking?” but it’s likely beefeater.
@Philip Kavanagh: exactly. Saying we should leave the EU because we’re now paying into the budget is like going to the pub with 10 mates and then leaving when it’s your round. Ridiculous.
The Irish are better than that.
@Ricky Spanish: He’s responsible if he puts the border back on this Island
@Paul Darby: how about you move to the UK after Brexit, that way you can enjoy the EU free paradise first hand
@Roy Dowling: It is tempting & I for one will keep my options open to see how they fair.
@Gerry Campbell: you can leave now, they won’t even charge you £65 to live there
@Edmund Murphy: with warm ale chasers
@Jamie: that is par for the course for all politicians,
@Gerry Campbell: umm not to rain on your parade dude but we don’t know what effect Brexit will have on the UK economy. Just imagine if it goes horribly wrong for them and there economy is wrecked and I know you’ll say that’s impossible but just try and think of what that would be like. If that does happen what would we have to be smoking as a nation to want and go and do the same when a nation that was once an empire and still an actual world power gets stuffed up the bum by it ?. Just be patient before calling for an Irexit is all I’m saying
@GorillaGrower: but if Leo had bent over and given the brits everything they wanted even when they arrogantly assumed we’d just automatically do that anyways, you guys would be moaning about him being weak. He’s standing his ground, I don’t consider myself a fan of his but I don’t see anything wrong in standing up against British arrogance
@Barry Somers: Rubbish, stay in the EU and become part of the Fourth Reich with Merkel and co. We have more in common with the UK than the French and their European Army. Correct me if I am wrong but didn’t we vote to join the EEC ? Don’t remember voting for the EU superstate
@Philip Kavanagh: total bs!!
@Barry Somers: well maybe a few of the children of Ireland left in the churches care after England’s thum was lifted might disagree, but I digress, if you are happy with watching Mr Junker pissed , falling ng out of meetings, groping young ladies in public, and never wonder how this unelected pig,managed to break this country ,without boo being said,and they believe are only warming up, well shur that’s all good so…me I smell a big fat bankers paw,all over Mr Junker and Com
@Philip Kavanagh: and Roman Obromavich ,and his fellow bondholders had to be paid , are you well.
@ed w: Commonwealth , by a different name if it upsets some people, plenty of countries to trade with,besides being ruled by drunken unelected Mr Junker ?
I’ve said it in numerous articles before and was critized fot it, the EU coffers is all that matters.
They are not in the slightest concerned about a hard border once they get their financial results from Britain. We are merely a cash cow for the EU.
@Trevor Hayden:
Who are these EU people getting all this dosh from countries? And where does it go?
@Dave Barnaville: I think the question should be ” Who imposed the Apple tax rebate that Ireland had to claim in the EU headquarters?”
We heard all of leo and simon’s speil of “We have the backing of our EU counterparts”
The EU could not give a s about the Good Friday agreement or the trouble that could ensue due to a hard border once they receive the billions from Britain to leave.
Who recieves that exit bailout is anyone’s guess.
@Dave Barnaville: Unsecured bondholders, they ones we didnt have to pay
@MickN: we weren’t forced by/the EU to pay the unsecured bond holders! We had a serious incompetent or seriously mislead minister for finance who met the bankers, consulted with Merrill Lynch and decided against the advice of Merril Lunch advisors to guarantee ALL bond holders in the Irish bank! That why we HAD to pay ALL bond holders including subordinated bonds! This was beyond ludicrous and anyone with common sense at the time could see how this was a mistake! The minister bumbling incompetent government here realized the major EFF up they made when it was too late! The guarantee was in place! It was then said by the EU Junker in particular that if the Irish government reneged on the guarantee it would be like a financial bomb going off in Dunblin. I don’t like Junker by any stretch of the imagination but he was correct! The financial consequences for us as citizens would have been catastrophic. No money to withdraw from banks etc!
Over to you Leo, lets see you Spin the phook out of this one
@Pixie McMullen:
He’s a meat eater you know.
This may be perceived as toxic4.6/10
I don’t think they realise what the reaction would be from most people on the island should a hard border start up..
@Paul Furey: what would they do?
@Paul Furey: Nationalists control district council areas in the North that cover almost 2/3 of the territory, including everything west of the Bann. In the event of a closing off of the rest of Ireland commercially for those counties then it is quite possible that they would declare themselves under the administration of the Irish Govt and the protection of the EU as Irish and EU citizens for humanitarian reasons, removing themselves from British administrative jurisdiction, courts, revenue etc. Irish flag on public buildings and other things like harmonizing road signs etc with the south. What would a prostrate Britain, with 65 million hungry people and as Border Force said yesterday up to 87% of freight,through Dover, Britain’s jugular, cut…going to do about it? And given Bradley pretty much accepted a Border Poll in those circumstances…if I were a unionist I would be careful what I wished for. Events on the ground…dear boy events on the ground.
@Paul Furey: what will the reaction be when hormone injected beef crosses the border and decimates our agricultural industry? That unfortunately will be one of the consequences. We don’t want a hard border but we don’t want the island awash with produce that does not meet EU standards, therefore threatening our export industry.
The only positive from that is never again will FG be in power ….
@MickN: hopefully
@MickN: What have they done to make you suggest that? Brexit isn’t our doing and fg and all the rest our politicians and putting on a great united front in our interests.
@Anthony Clark: fine gael know if the EU forces them to erect any kind of border then they are screwed electorally
@MickN: isn’t that what we say every time a government screws up and we throw them out. We said that about FF in 2010 but now there’s probably going to be taking over from FG until they screw up and FG come back it’s a wheel and we just the ones on the ground getting crushed. For Ireland FF/FG is the abusive lover who keeps knocking the s*%#@ out of us till we kick him out only for him to tell us he’s changed and we take him back only for history to repeat itself
@Anthony Clark: yeah I don’t think any other party could have done a better job than the one that’s being done. We only have so much power in all this and it’s such a train wreck with the brits that we can only do so much. It’s something no party wants to take on and I don’t blame them
Paddy will be screwed again
@John Hartigan: by the brits!
@John Hartigan: TROUBLE BREWING
Looks like a Border so…we have no say it would appear…British government should just leave and we can all move on..if our government are not prepared by now they never will.
If a hard border is imposed on this island by either the UK or EU then the Irish government should absolutely refuse to secure or administer it.
The Good Friday Agreement has allowed Nationalists and Unionists to live and develop their relationships in relative harmony compared to when the border existed. We allow that agreement to be watered down or scrapped at our peril.
For some of us at least, freedom of movement and interaction on the island is more important than EU membership.
@Kieran Magennis: and how does the Irish gov stop hormone injected beef coming in at Larne and crossing the border, decimating our agricultural industry and beef exports, as our produce becomes corrupted. It is all very well saying don’t administer but that too has devastating consequences.
@Kieran Magennis: Leo has been saying to anyone that will listen that he wont put a border up… Hardly lie would he
@Brendan Walsh: They do it through forensic accounting & prosecutions on this territory for those amongst us who would profit from such an illegal trade. There is always a money trail.
@Mick Byrne: all very well but it is not illegal now. What you propose is part and parcel of a hard border.
@Brendan Walsh: There is simply no need for a hard border, let the tax man collect revenue because that’s all the government is really concerned with & the garda investigate & prosecute criminality. It was never an effective border even when militarized.
@Brendan Walsh: Sorry Brendan, but if you think stuff like that is more important than freedom of movement and peace on the island then I’ll never convince you how important it is not to return to a hard border!
But our friends and masters in the EU will look after us. We’re so important to them.
@Windom Earle: They want to give us free money and stuff, because they’re nice like that.
Seems that a deal was done with the DUP?
So, putting a time limit in the backstop, or removing it, as the House of Commons wants, would be better than no deal. Unfortunatly if Leo agrees to that, he will be seen as failing. A watered down backstop is better than no backstop! A simple ohone call could resolve this and put us all out our misery. Lead Mr Vardkar, lead!
@Tony Harris: The backstop is to protect the Good Friday Agreement, so how can you have a time limit on the Good Friday Agreement, it makes no sense !!!
No deal – No protection, lesser of 2 evils
WTO said its rules does not require a border,but if 1 EU country asks for it then they have to insist on 1,its up to the EU. No MSM journalists have mentioned this,wonder why.
@@mdmak33: where did the WTO say that? You’re making things up you
@Chucky Arlaw: no,I heard it on ch4 last week WTO rules do not require a border and cannot understand why MSM is not saying it.
Hard Border. ? So what. We had one many years ago & we got by.
@Locojoe: ah yeah no big deal, it was only a factor in countless thousands of people being murdered.
@Locojoe: Sure we got by facism in Europe years ago.. what’s the harm now..
@Locojoe:
When writing future history people generally look for a little more than “getting by”.
So an EU enforced border it is then.
Are any of you waking up to their motives yet?
A border between “Ireland and Northern Ireland”. This terminology was first used two years ago by the British government and is now eagerly used by Leo and his cohorts aswell as the EU.
Ireland is an island consisting (temporarily) of two states. The Republic of Ireland and Northern Ireland.
Britain is an island consisting of three states. England, Scotland and Wales.
It’s simple Geography.
@Alternative for Ireland: The UK is one state not 4
@Alternative for Ireland: I really think it’s time the British renamed Northern Ireland. It needs a name of its own so it can be distinguished from Ireland.
The Backstop agrees no hard border. So there will be no hard border. End of story.
@Nomis Andrews: The backstop preventing a hard border is part of the deal. Therefore, no deal means no backstop and no trade agreement, so a hard border would become necessary for customs and immigration.
@Andrew: Sorry Andrew but that is wrong. The Backstop guarantees no Hard Border in the event of a ‘No Deal’.
The problem is that regulatory alignment is required with No Hard Border and that is not possible without a border between The North and Britain which the DUP will not agree to.
The danger of a reemergence of the Troubles could be highly likely with ‘No Deal’.
@Nomis Andrews: I agree with your observation, the backstop was to prevent a hard border in the event of a no deal exit. I thought that that was what was agreed initially and that the UK government signed up to the backstop as part of the initial processing… or is my memory failing me?
I could have sworn something like this was agreed… …
The United Kingdom remains committed to protecting North-South cooperation and to its guarantee of avoiding a hard border. Any future arrangements must be compatible with these overarching requirements. The United Kingdom’s intention is to achieve these objectives through the overall EU-UK relationship. Should this not be possible, the United Kingdom will propose specific solutions to address the unique circumstances of the island of Ireland. In the absence of agreed solutions, the United Kingdom will maintain full alignment with those rules of the Internal Market and the Customs Union which, now or in the future, support North-South cooperation, the all-island economy and the protection of the 1998 Agreement.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: Seriously guys. Do you not understand what ‘no deal’ means? It means ‘no deal’. That means no backstop. Because the backstop is part of the withdrawal agreement (aka ‘the deal’). So if there is no deal, there is no backstop, which means there is no commitment to preventing a hard border. Jesus wept.
`There will be no hard border because there will be no Brexit other than a BRINO shadow of one. No MP with half a brain cell is going to vote for food and medical shortages for their constituents and the destruction of supply chains. Border Force reckons 75-87% reduction in freight through Dover…their jugular. Out of the question. The real fun will be the visceral reaction little England and the neanderthal football terrace illiterates and their Dad’s Army wannabee Eton Mess caricature mates when they have their little wet dream taken off them. They will go nuts. The ‘sceptered isle’ version of Weimar England will tear itself a part as it spits bile at the ‘elite traitors’ and the evil Irish who undermined their buccaneering delusions. It is hard to see England recovering from this humiliation for decades and Scotland and the North will not be waiting decades as the UK they knew as stable becomes prisoner to an English civil war about English, not British identity.
@John Sullivan: bring it on
@John Sullivan: Jeeze, you must polish those crystal balls of yours every day to have such clarity on the dismal geopolitical future of the UK as a whole and its society in general. Good man, means I don’t have to watch or read any political analysis by so-called *experts* in the broadsheets and save a few Bob. Have you thought of a part time career in international affairs?
@wattsed56: You don’t need the gift of clairvoyance to see the visceral myths driving this fantasy and you don’t need crystal balls to know what happens when those fantasies encounter reality-Border Force seem to have a good idea. So ain’t happening….then gnashing of teeth time….and popcorn as it will provide for some wonderful entertainment. Game on.
@John Sullivan: Entertainment? A vast amount of our trade is with the UK, you appear to think that our downfall would be amusing….
@Stephen O’Donoghue: We won’t be ‘downfalling’ anywhere…because they won’t be going anywhere..MPs are not going to commit harakiri on their constituents’ behalf. The entertainment will come afterwards when their Dad’s Army delusion is taken off them. Our exports will be fine…65 million people on the ‘sceptered isle’ will still have to put something on the table for their kids…even if they are spitting fire that they weren’t allowed to rebuild Empire II.
Just scrap the backstop, withdrawal agreement goes ahead equals no hard border. That’s fairly obvious also.
@Martin Hession: Can you please explain what the purpose of the backstop is and how based on that knowledge, you come to the conclusion that scrapping it is an obvious solution?
@Martin Hession: if Northern Ireland and republic of Ireland are in different customs union then there’s a hard border
I’ve an idea. Why don’t they let the people decide via a border poll. Then the people can tell them where they can stick their British border in our beautiful country.
It was a no brainer that custom checks and a hard border would be the result of a no deal brexit , to blame the EU for checks soley is BS, if Britain takes back control of their so called borders as they have said then without an agreement with the EU a hard border is exactly what they would have to do or else they would have open borders which they oppose.
Simon Coveney and any other Government minister should resign if they are prepared to even consider a border infrastructure. Our peace on this island is above all the most important event in Ireland and any minister that could consider the mayhem and destruction of a renewed troubles should be deported for their stupidity.
Protecting our integrity and our citizens and those of our neighbours is more important than protecting EU countries whose citizens will not die in renewed violence.
Everyone knows no deal = a hard border. WTO rules state there must be a hard border. All we get is political spin from FG and the Brexit nutters, they refuse to tell people the TRUTH !!
The EU, run by liberal globalists only care about the creation of a single entity , the creation of the United States of Europe, a continuum from the deceptive tactical lure of the original Common Market…did we unwittingly sign up to go beyond that point to the EEC and then to evolve into the current European Union and its desire for a European army in a post WWII united Germany’s orbit with France playing second fiddle? The British, who want to retain their sovereignty, and the chaos resulting from Angela Merkle’s ‘open borders’ as well as the rising dissent from Eastern European and Scandinavian countries will likely see off the notion of any EU Army. You’d have to ask questions like is Ireland better off remaining long term in the EU? Will Ireland become a strategic EU military base? Will Ireland retain its sovereignty or has it been lost already? The UK has been our single friend in the EU and when it leaves we are on our own…no support…will we be heard or just dictated to? In the long run we cannot trust the EU, Britain or anyone else to secure Ireland’s interests, we must rely on our ‘incorruptible’ elected officials to negotiate on our behalf and not sell the country out.
Note : A further protest is organised for this coming Saturday 26th at 3pm, at the same location as the photograph in this story – the Dundalk/Newry border at Carrickarnon.
Leo is just right, there’s too many lunatics in British parliament we can’t trust them on anything.
@Newton: and the EU politicians and Irish politicians are just fine and dandy are they,
Is this general EU opinion or just one commissioner giving his opinion? ….. If we end up with a hard border well then, we veto everything and lower corporation tax to 1%.
@Siobhan O’Sullivan Morrin: all vetos are gone, EU has stopped that lark mate, keep up,
@Siobhan O’Sullivan Morrin: With Lisbon mk 2 we were given tax autonomy so we could reduce corporation tax to 1% if we wished right now without having to consult the EU. I am aware that the EU want to harmonize taxes across all member states but if Ireland agreed to that it would require another referendum to alter the terms of Lisbon mk 2. If the EU tried to force us to comply without a referendum it would render the result of Lisbon mk 2 null and void thereby leaving Lisbon mk 1 the only valid version in my opinion.
If there is an agreement or a permanent backstop…problem solved. If there is a ‘no deal’ Brexit…major problem. It will cause a return to ‘The Troubles’ if there is an EU
imposed border. That was a serious problem for everyone in these islands in the past. As the potential loss of life and property would be catastrophic for Ireland, if the EU did not help to sooth the problem, then we would not have much alternative other then leaving the EU to protect life and property which outweighs being a member of the EU in my opinion.
Break out the new European Army, secure the North and bare our arses to the Brits.. If the Scots want in we can help there too…
Richard, what a moronic statement, we moan about the Brits and them ruling us for years, now you want a load of Germans to occupy us? Grow up.
The next few weeks will see loads of mud slinging towards us by Brexiteers and ever opportunistic s**t stirring DUPs. They know the momentum is on our side. Our politicians must stand firm against the bullying.
When they say they are not “planning for a border”, and also say they cannot “wish this away”, there is a contradiction straight away. Get head out of sand and formulate a credible response to a border should the UK threaten to erect one .
The Irish Government ought to be dealing with the EU; not the UK
Issues to be resolved with the EU:
-Border and the extra costs of Brexit in manning it
-Loss of trade , particularly ag exports
-Maintenance of cross border agreements with NI.
Political handshakes or “wink, wink, say no more” are simply not good enough because
any agreements made now with PM May would likely be dumped when she is replaced.
We are part of the EU with whom we have legally enforceable formal mutual agreements and that’s where the Brexit debacle should begin & end, IMO.
Will never hard Border cos Good Friday Argeement
have your say