Latest news with #Peppiatt
Int'l Business Times
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- Int'l Business Times
Kneecap 'Unfazed' By Legal Problems, Says Friend And Director
Irish rappers Kneecap are "unfazed" by their legal problems and controversies kicked up by their anti-Israel pro-Palestinian statements, friend and film director Rich Peppiatt told AFP. Peppiatt helped create the Kneecap phenomenon with his 2024 semi-fictionalised film about the hip-hop group from Belfast, who are now playing major festivals around the world. The trio made headlines by projecting the words "Fuck Israel, Free Palestine" during their gig at US festival Coachella in April, while lyricist Mo Chara is set to appear in a London court on a terror charge on Wednesday. Chara, whose real name is Liam Og O Hannaidh, is accused of displaying a flag of Lebanon-based and anti-Israel militant group Hezbollah -- a banned organisation -- at a gig last year. "Even through all the controversy at the moment, they just shrug their shoulders and get on with it," Peppiatt told AFP. "They are just completely unfazed by anything." The former journalist first encountered Kneecap in a pub in Belfast in 2019 and was struck by their local fanbase, eventually convincing Chara, Moglai Bap and DJ Provai to appear in the movie about their lives. "They've always been controversial at a local level, and they've always bounced back from it," Peppiatt continued. "The amount of times in the last six years I've heard 'that's the end of Kneecap' because of something they've said or done, and all it's done is propelled them to the next level," he said. Kneecap started out as an overtly political project, with the group singing in Irish in defence of their language and protesting British rule in Northern Ireland. Their high-energy gigs, prolific drug-taking and the violent undercurrent of Belfast life were captured in Peppiatt's film "Kneecap", which premiered at the Sundance film festival in 2024 to rave reviews. The dark comedy, music and occasional surrealist digression means it has been frequently compared to 1996 hit "Trainspotting", which Peppiatt mentions as an influence. Drawing an estimated six million people to cinemas worldwide on a budget of just GBP3 million ($4 million), it was a debut hit for the London-born director. "You certainly don't make a film about an Irish-language rap band no one's heard of, and who have never released an album, thinking it's going to be a hit," Peppiatt, who recently obtained Irish nationality through his wife, told AFP. But he says it tapped into larger themes that people identify with, from the loss of local languages to the struggle in many countries against colonial-era influences. "One useful thing about British colonialism is that when you've taken over a third of the world, if you make a film 50 or 100 years later, and it's all about 'fuck the British', you find an audience for it," he joked. As for the question of whether his film created Kneecap the band, or whether the band made his film, he said it was a bit of both. "I felt that they were going to break through. Obviously the film's accelerated that," he said. Kneecap the film will hit screens in France and South Korea on Wednesday in the final stages of its international release. Kneecap's support for the Palestinian cause and their denunciation of Israel's devastating war in Gaza, Peppiatt said, was in line with Irish public opinion. "There's always been a very close connection between the Irish cause and the Palestinian cause," he said. "Where they're from in West Belfast, there are as many Irish flags as there are Palestinian flags." But critics see the group as going too far and accuse them of embracing violent extremists. One video of a gig appears to show a band member shouting "Up Hamas, up Hezbollah". Another from a 2023 performance, which was also assessed by British police, appears to show one of them urging fans to kill British lawmakers, leading to a public apology to the families of murdered MPs. Kneecap have called on fans to show up outside court on Wednesday in support of Chara and have labelled his prosecution "political policing". Peppiatt told AFP he did not always agree with the way the group expressed themselves. "Where they slipped up for me at Coachella was saying 'fuck Israel', that's a very broad statement to make that incorporated a lot of people who don't believe in what's happening there (in Gaza)," he said. "When you're friends with people you're allowed to disagree, and I do disagree with them on some things." Kneecap in action at the Wide Awake Festival in London in May AFP Mo Chara and Moglai Bap at Coachella AFP
France 24
10 hours ago
- Entertainment
- France 24
Kneecap 'unfazed' by legal problems, says friend and director
Peppiatt helped create the Kneecap phenomenon with his 2024 semi-fictionalised film about the hip-hop group from Belfast, who are now playing major festivals around the world. The trio made headlines by projecting the words "Fuck Israel, Free Palestine" during their gig at US festival Coachella in April, while lyricist Mo Chara is set to appear in a London court on a terror charge on Wednesday. Chara, whose real name is Liam Og O Hannaidh, is accused of displaying a flag of Lebanon-based and anti-Israel militant group Hezbollah -- a banned organisation -- at a gig last year. "Even through all the controversy at the moment, they just shrug their shoulders and get on with it," Peppiatt told AFP. "They are just completely unfazed by anything." The former journalist first encountered Kneecap in a pub in Belfast in 2019 and was struck by their local fanbase, eventually convincing Chara, Moglai Bap and DJ Provai to appear in the movie about their lives. "They've always been controversial at a local level, and they've always bounced back from it," Peppiatt continued. "The amount of times in the last six years I've heard 'that's the end of Kneecap' because of something they've said or done, and all it's done is propelled them to the next level," he said. - British colonialism - Kneecap started out as an overtly political project, with the group singing in Irish in defence of their language and protesting British rule in Northern Ireland. Their high-energy gigs, prolific drug-taking and the violent undercurrent of Belfast life were captured in Peppiatt's film "Kneecap", which premiered at the Sundance film festival in 2024 to rave reviews. The dark comedy, music and occasional surrealist digression means it has been frequently compared to 1996 hit "Trainspotting", which Peppiatt mentions as an influence. Drawing an estimated six million people to cinemas worldwide on a budget of just £3 million ($4 million), it was a debut hit for the London-born director. "You certainly don't make a film about an Irish-language rap band no one's heard of, and who have never released an album, thinking it's going to be a hit," Peppiatt, who recently obtained Irish nationality through his wife, told AFP. But he says it tapped into larger themes that people identify with, from the loss of local languages to the struggle in many countries against colonial-era influences. "One useful thing about British colonialism is that when you've taken over a third of the world, if you make a film 50 or 100 years later, and it's all about 'fuck the British', you find an audience for it," he joked. As for the question of whether his film created Kneecap the band, or whether the band made his film, he said it was a bit of both. "I felt that they were going to break through. Obviously the film's accelerated that," he said. Kneecap the film will hit screens in France and South Korea on Wednesday in the final stages of its international release. - Palestinian cause - Kneecap's support for the Palestinian cause and their denunciation of Israel's devastating war in Gaza, Peppiatt said, was in line with Irish public opinion. "There's always been a very close connection between the Irish cause and the Palestinian cause," he said. "Where they're from in West Belfast, there are as many Irish flags as there are Palestinian flags." But critics see the group as going too far and accuse them of embracing violent extremists. One video of a gig appears to show a band member shouting "Up Hamas, up Hezbollah". Another from a 2023 performance, which was also assessed by British police, appears to show one of them urging fans to kill British lawmakers, leading to a public apology to the families of murdered MPs. Kneecap have called on fans to show up outside court on Wednesday in support of Chara and have labelled his prosecution "political policing". Peppiatt told AFP he did not always agree with the way the group expressed themselves. "Where they slipped up for me at Coachella was saying 'fuck Israel', that's a very broad statement to make that incorporated a lot of people who don't believe in what's happening there (in Gaza)," he said.
BBC News
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- BBC News
Kneecap director Rich Peppiatt says working on film was a privilege
The Bafta-winning writer and director of the film Kneecap has said it was a huge privilege to be part of the Sunday, Rich Peppiatt picked up the Bafta for Outstanding Debut for his work on the 2024 film about the west Belfast rap Irish-language film missed out in five other categories, including Film Not in the English said after a year of travelling to film festivals and award ceremonies "it was a lovely way to round it all off with the big one, the Bafta". Rap group Kneecap was formed in 2017 by three friends who go by the stage names of Mo Chara, Móglaí Bap and DJ Próvaí.The idea for a film was first conceived in 2019 when Peppiatt watched the group perform in told Radio Ulster's Evening Extra programme: "I met Kneecap a couple of weeks after moving to Belfast."So, you know, being able to contribute to telling the story of a community I hold very dear- west Belfast - where my in-laws are all from is very special."And to promote the Irish language and Irish culture and the Irish film industry, something that's welcomed me with open arms and I just think is world-beating in its standard and its potential, it's been a huge privilege."Despite the excitement of receiving the award surrounded by "A-listers", Peppiatt predicted things would quickly get back to normality."The circus moves on, this is showbusiness," he said. "It's all very glitzy, it's all very glamorous."But next week I'll be back on the Lisburn Road having a cup of coffee and everything will be back to normal and we'll think about what we do next."
The Independent
17-02-2025
- Entertainment
- The Independent
‘Kneecap' director dedicates outstanding British debut Bafta to everyone who ‘should have their homeland respected'
Kneecap director Rich Peppiatt dedicated his Bafta award for outstanding British debut to those who are fighting to 'have their homeland respected'. The Irish -language comedy-drama depicts the Belfast rap trio's rise to fame and how they strived to bring the Irish language to a younger generation. Hailing Kneecap as a "movement", Peppiatt added as he collected the award in London on Sunday (16 February): "Everyone should have their language respected, their culture respected. 'This award is dedicated to everyone out there who's fighting that fight.'
Yahoo
16-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Kneecap director picks up Bafta for outstanding debut
Kneecap has won outstanding debut by a British writer, director or producer at the Bafta film awards. The Irish-language film depicts the rise of the Belfast rap trio and has been nominated in six categories. The breakout movie was nominated for best British film, best editing, film not in the English language, best original screenplay, best casting and best debut – British writer, director or producer. Kneecap, made up of Liam Og O Hannaidh, Naoise O Caireallain and JJ O Dochartaigh, arrived on the red carpet in London with the film director Rich Peppiatt. O Caireallain, also known as Moglai Bap, told the PA news agency on the red carpet: 'We will be very proud to get best British film of the year. 'It will be the first Irish language film to get best British film of the year, I imagine.' Peppiatt said they would be 'chuffed' to pick up that award. 'That will be quite fun to get up there and ultimately, the Irish language was destroyed, nearly, by the British Empire hundreds of years ago,' he added. 'The fact that these lads are standing here today with a movie in the Irish language is testament to the resilience of the language. 'People who wanted to carry it on when there was only a few thousand people speaking it and it's part of a cultural revival.' Peppiatt continued: 'In Ireland, but also here, there are Irish language classes oversubscribed everywhere. 'People are setting up meetings in pubs to be able to talk Irish. 'Ultimately, any time you can get it out of schools and onto the streets like the boys have, I think that bodes well for the future of it. 'I hope there will be lots more Irish language films and filmmakers standing here in the coming years.' Og O Hannaidh, also known as Mo Chara, said: 'When you can buy a bag of weed in Irish, you know it's doing well.' Asked about working with Hollywood actor Michael Fassbender, who also stars in the film, Og O Hannaidh said: 'The toughest part was trying to keep him calm. 'He was so star-struck and nervous. 'It was his big break and obviously I know we are so intimidating for somebody like Michael Fassbender. 'It was an absolute privilege for him.' Peppiatt said: 'He was a terrible influence as he liked to get a good old drink with the boys and together they are a terrible foursome.' O Caireallain said they 'were always late every morning'. 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 added. '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.'
