Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché is a complex look at the feminist punk icon – Fantasia 2021 review

Iconic X-Ray Spex singer Poly Styrene gets a documentary fitting of her legacy with Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché, a fascinating new documentary as seen through the often-conflicted eyes of her daughter Celeste Bell.

Poly Styrene (Marianne Joan Elliott-Said) made waves as the first woman of colour to front a major punk band in the 70s, shouting out anthemic and boundary-pushing tracks like “Oh Bondage! Up Yours!” while sporting her unique and plastic-heavy homemade outfits.

Following her death in 2011, her daughter went back into her mother’s archives to put the pieces of her Poly Styrene’s tumultuous life back together and to try to gain new insights into their difficult relationship. What follows is a revelatory look at Styrene’s indelible influence on generations of women to openly and honestly express themselves through their art, as well as the mental toll that stardom took on her over the years.

Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché is a portrait of a troubled woman seeking to find her place in the world. When punk seemed to have lost its allure for her, Styrene turned to serene folk music and then became deeply entrenched in the world of Hari Krishna devotees, eventually moving to a Krishna compound with her young daughter in tow. Once entrenched in the Krishna community, Styrene would often become so wrapped up in her devotion that she would occasionally forget to even eat or drink, leaving her young daughter to fend for herself.

Directed by Celeste Bell and Paul Sng, Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché is not only a rare look at one of the most influential artists of her era but a revealing examination of the intersection between art and mental illness. The film is a fitting tribute to the unique and complicated trailblazer, as well as a cautionary tale of an extremely sensitive soul who was caught up and chewed up in the whirlwind of fame and attention. Thankfully, making the film seems to have brought Celeste some much-needed closure, allowing her to come to terms with her mother’s troubled life and their often-rocky relationship.

Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché is available on-demand via the Fantasia International Film Festival. Tickets are available here.