‘Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché’ Documentary To Get UK Release

Poly Styrene was the first woman of colour in the UK to front a successful rock band. She introduced the world to a new sound of rebellion, using her unconventional voice to sing about identity, consumerism, postmodernism, and everything she saw unfolding in late 1970s Britain. As the frontwoman of X-Ray Spex, the Anglo-Somali punk musician was also a key inspiration for the riot grrrl and Afropunk movements. The late punk maverick was survived by a daughter, Celeste Bell, who became the unwitting guardian of her mother’s legacy and her mother’s demons. Featuring unseen archive material and rare diary entries, this documentary follows Celeste as she examines her mother’s unopened artistic archive and traverses three continents to better understand Poly the icon and Poly the mother. “Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché” is out on the 5th March, a virtual screening can be pre-ordered here & the film will be broadcast on the 6th March on Sky Arts.