Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché

Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché tells the story of Poly Styrene, the daughter of a Somali-born father and a British-Irish mother, who crashed into the overwhelmingly white and male world of 1970s punk. While many punk icons are remembered as rebels, Poly’s rebellion confronted racism, sexism, and beauty standards of the era.

Poly’s visibility came at a cost.Ccelebrated for being different but also isolated by it, she faced prejudice from the music industry, the press, and society more broadly. The film explores fame, mental health struggles, and the pressure of becoming a symbol for people who saw a reflection of themselves in her. Through the eyes of her daughter, Celeste Bell, the documentary reveals not just a punk pioneer but a woman carrying burdens that many of her contemporaries would never have to bear.