By Greg Hay
Family squabbles are normal enough, but rarely do they escalate to the level of bare knuckle boxing, unless you're an Irish gypsy that is.
Knuckle is a documentary that follows the lives and violence of two rival families in a feud so old it's origins are no longer known.
Needless to say, a simple “I'm sorry” doesn't cut it in the gypsy world.
James Quinn McDonagh and Paddy 'the Lurcher' Joyce are related by blood but the feud which separates them goes back generations.
People should understand that bare knuckle fights in the traveller world happen because they usually happen within a tight family group out of a few families.
Knuckle took 12 years to make. Its release earlier this year saw it being called a cross between Fight Club meets Sons of Anarchy. The difference is that this isn't acting.
All the fighters from both sides were related to each other, brothers and cousins fighting brothers and cousins.
Knuckle is released world wide today and is currently showing at the New Zealand International Film Festival.
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