The Irish Film and Television Academy (Ifta) has announced that Rich Peppiatt’s Kneecap, a fictionalised biopic of the eponymous Belfast rap trio, is to be the Irish submission for best international feature at next year’s Academy Awards.
“Nothing hits quite like the reception we’ve had at home in Ireland,” Peppiatt said. “To get the opportunity to represent our nation on the biggest film stage of them all is an absolute privilege. Míle Buíochas to Ifta and everyone who’s been part of and supported our wee film.”
Colm Bairéad’s An Cailín Ciúin, a very different Irish-language title, made it all the way to the final five in the category formerly known as best foreign language film at last year’s Oscars.
Kneecap still has some distance to travel. Countries (bar the US) are invited to submit one film with dialogue predominately in a language other than English. A preliminary shortlist of 15 titles is announced on December 17th, with the final five nominations to emerge a month later.
Following rave reviews and an audience award after its world premiere at the Sundance Film Festival in January, Kneecap does, however, already seem to be in the conversation. Gold Derby, the internet’s most venerable award site, lists the film among its “strong contenders”, which would suggest a shortlisting should be expected.
Peppiatt’s film begins when Mo Chara (Liam Óg Ó Hannaidh) is arrested for minor mischief and local teacher DJ Próvai (JJ Ó Dochartaigh) – not yet wearing his tricolour balaclava – is called in to translate responses the suspect will deliver only in Irish. Those two come together with Móglaí Bap (Naoise Ó Cairealláin) to form the rap-punk posse and soon find themselves at the head of a social movement.
More than a few US reviews dared to compare the film with the original off-centre rock biopic. “Somehow, they’ve come up with A Hard Day’s Night for the Northern Irish resistance,” the Washington Post wrote.
“It’s obviously great that films in the Irish language are having some kind of effect on people, you had An Cailín Ciúin and stuff,” Mo Chara remarked. “For a culture that was so brutally oppressed for so long, the language was almost driven to extinction, now it’s on the biggest stage of the world and it’s an absolute privilege.”
Mogali Bap acknowledged the film’s underreported inclusivity. “It’s an international story and makes people reflect on their own culture and language, and to consider the relationship they have with their indigenous or native language,” he said. “It comes at a time when people are looking for something with a bit more substance, a bit more intrinsic value.”
In recent years, the best international feature has been won by such crossover hits as Parasite, All Quiet on the Western Front and current holder The Zone of Interest. An Cailín Ciúin was the first Irish feature – and the first title in the national language – to receive a nomination in the category. Paddy Breathnach’s Viva, in Spanish, became the first shortlisted Irish title in 2015.
Kneecap will be on general release in Ireland from next Thursday, August 8th.
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