Cinema Yarra for Leaps and Bounds - Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliche

Cinema Yarra presents a series of music documentary screenings for Leaps and Bounds 2023. The films focus on past performers who have left incredible contributions to the music scene.

1pm, Thursday 13 July 
Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliche, 2021
Directed by Paul Sng and Celeste BellDocumentary | English | 89 min

Poly Styrene was the first woman of colour in the UK to front a successful rock band, and a key influence on the riot grrrl and Afropunk movements. But Poly didn’t just leave behind a cultural footprint. She was survived by a daughter, Celeste, who became the steward of her mother’s legacy and demons, which plagued Poly’s life and scarred the pair’s relationship. With narration by Ruth Negga, this film follows Celeste’s journey to better understand Poly as an icon and mother.