Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché
Synopsis
But the late punk maverick didn’t just leave behind an immense cultural footprint. She was survived by a daughter, Celeste Bell, who became the unwitting guardian of her mother’s legacy and her mother’s demons. Misogyny, racism, and mental illness plagued Poly’s life, while their lasting trauma scarred Celeste’s childhood and the pair’s relationship.
Featuring unseen archive material and rare diary entries narrated by Oscar-nominee Ruth Negga, 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.
Official Selection Glasgow Film Festival 2021 - World premiere
Official Selection SXSW Film Festival 2021 - North American premiere
Details
- Year
- 2021
- Type of film
- Features
- Running time
- 96 min
- Format
- Digital
- Director
-
Celeste Bell, Paul Sng 1st Feature
- Producer
- Rebecca Mark Lawson, Daria Nitsche, Matthew Silverman
- Executive Producer
- Natasha Dack, Nikki Parrott, Richard Coram, Bruno Waser
- Editor
- Xanna Ward Dixon
- Screenwriter
- Celeste Bell, Zoe Howe, Paul Sng
- Director of Photography
- Nick Ward
- Sound
- James Shirley, Jonathan Hardy
- Principal cast
- Poly Styrene, Ruth Negga, Celeste Bell, Don Letts, Kathleen Hanna, Neneh Cherry
Genre
Categories
Production Status
Production Company
Polydoc Films Ltd
The Old Workshop1 Ecclesall Road South
Sheffield
S11 9PA
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