Film opinion: ‘Kneecap’ - A film’s impact on a struggling language
It’s without a doubt that Kneecap have created quite a name for themselves as controversial musicians.
Whether it’s speaking out about what they believe, having their Glastonbury set banned from being shown on the BBC, or being labelled as terrorists only to win in court against the British Government, Kneecap certainly know how to make an impression.
Film News Blitz’s Nisha Cullen writes about how the band has made an impact on the big screen.
History of the Irish language
Even many British fans I speak to are often unaware of their film, titled Kneecap, and the cultural significance it holds regarding Ireland and the Irish language.
A year on from the August 2024 release, I’m breaking down the history of the Irish language in Ireland, and the impact that the Kneecap movie had regarding that.
Irish, or Gaelige, is one of the oldest written languages in the world, recorded as early as the 5th century.
However, during the plantations of English-speaking people in Ireland from the mid-16th century to the early 17th century, the English banned and discouraged the use of the Irish language.
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The Great Famine, which saw many Irish speakers either dying from starvation or emigrating, saw the population of Ireland go from approximately 8.5 million to 6.5 million, and it is said the Irish language was at risk of extinction at this point in history.
The Irish population has still never recovered from this, sitting at just over 5.3 million people today.
The Society for the Preservation of the Irish Language was established in 1876 and successfully campaigned for the native dialect to be taught at every level in Irish schools.
Today, it is said that 1.9 million people in Ireland can speak Irish, even if it is just a few words.
Only 195,000 of those are considered fluent in the language.
Kneecap
Kneecap, comprising band members Naoise (Móglaí Bap), Liam Óg (Mo Chara) and JJ (DJ Próvaí), are strong advocates for the Irish language, more times than not rapping in primarily Irish in their music.
Three boys from Belfast, the Irish language is a strong part of Northern Irish Catholic’s identity.
Their film highlights that in a way that will make you laugh, cry and think: what is going on?
The film’s impact
The Kneecap film was the first Irish-language film to premiere at the Sundance Film Festival, which was already a huge win for the language.
The Irish Film and Television Academy announced that year that Kneecap would represent Ireland in the International Feature Film category at the Oscars.
The Kneecap boys and director, Rich Peppiatt, also won a BAFTA for Outstanding Debut.
Showcasing the Irish language on an international stage is an incredible feat, one that tells people we do have a language (you wouldn't be able to fathom how often people look at me, surprised to learn that yes, Ireland does have its own language).
Personal impacts were definitely felt by people watching the Kneecap movie.
Speaking on my own, I felt disappointed that I didn’t try harder to learn more Irish when I was in school.
I even considered changing the spelling of my name from Nisha to Naoise (the Irish spelling, pronounced the same way).
Watching the movie after having moved away from Ireland, I also felt a sense of homesickness.
When I do use a phrase or two in Irish throughout the day (cúpla focal, a few words, as they’re often called), I find myself over-explaining.
Overall thoughts
There is no doubt that Kneecap, through their music, have had an incredible impact on the Irish language, both at home and abroad.
Having seen Kneecap live in Manchester this August, I was shocked to see how many people could sing along, even in Irish.
The Kneecap film will go down in history, cementing the Irish language on an international stage, while celebrating the band’s background, and loving embrace for their native dialect.
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