Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché

Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché

Winner of the Best Documentary Award at the 2021 British Independent Film Awards, Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché is an intimate and powerful exploration of a punk icon whose voice defined a generation yet struggled to find peace within her own. Co-directed by Poly Styrene’s daughter, Celeste Bell, alongside Paul Sng, the film tells the story of Marianne Joan Elliott-Said—better known as Poly Styrene, the groundbreaking frontwoman of the 1970s punk band X-Ray Spex.

Through rare archival footage, personal letters, and Bell’s reflective narration, the documentary traces Poly Styrene’s journey from a mixed-race teenager in London’s punk scene to a cultural trailblazer who challenged the white, male-dominated norms of the movement. Her music—raw, political, and unapologetically feminist—exposed the artificiality of consumer culture and became an anthem for outsiders everywhere.

Yet behind her fearless public persona lay a woman battling mental illness, racism, and the pressures of fame. Bell’s perspective brings profound emotional depth to the story, transforming it from a standard biographical documentary into a daughter’s act of healing and rediscovery.

Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché is both a celebration and a reclamation—a moving portrait of an artist who refused to conform and a woman whose legacy continues to reverberate through music, identity, and rebellion. It’s not just a film about punk history, but about the enduring power of art to make sense of who we are.

Screening With:

Cayenne

Canadian Shorts Showcase

During her night shift at the remote gas station, a female clerk agrees to help a man whose car broke down. While they both attempt to repair the vehicle, the driver’s intentions leave the young woman uncertain. In the middle of the deserted parking lot, an air of apprehension fills the night as the events of the evening unfold. French with English subtitles.

11 mins
Canada, 2020
Dir. Simon Gionet
Language: French