To coincide with the 40th anniversary of the seminal X-Ray Spex album Germfree Adolescents, a new film titled Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché is in the works. Co-written and narrated by Poly’s daughter Celeste Bell, the film is being crowdfunded via Indiegogo until May 2, with various rewards offered in return for donations, including limited edition t-shirts, mugs, tote bags, DVDs and signed books, along with unique opportunities such as Associate and Executive Producer credits.
Bi-racial, female, working class and possessing one of the most satirical perspectives in punk, X-Ray Spex founder Poly Styrene was, as Billboard proclaimed, “one of the least conventional front-persons in rock history”. Poly was responsible for some of the most original, intelligent and exciting music of the punk era and beyond, but away from the songs, the look and that warrior-cry voice, her fascinating and sometimes frightening story, incorporating struggles with misogyny, racism and mental health issues, has remained largely untold. Until now.
In this feature-length documentary, the jigsaw pieces of Poly’s life will be brought together for the first time. Original interviews, new research and previously unseen archive material are combined to present a thrilling, poetic and at times impressionistic portrait of a singer, seeker and mother. Underscored with Poly’s music from throughout her career, I Am A Cliché celebrates one of punk’s most uncompromising icons.
To support the crowdfunding campaign and find out more about the film, follow this link: igg.me/at/polystyrene