This week, two projects revolving around legendary 20th century rock figures hit streaming, though the subjects, and the projects, couldn’t be more different.
First up, the documentary “Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliche” will be in theaters nationwide Wednesday for a one night only big screen event before becoming available to rent digitally on Friday. The pioneering punk princess Poly Styrene, the lead singer of the British punk band X-Ray Spex, was the first woman of color to front a successful rock band in the U.K. Her distinctive voice and delightfully daffy DIY fashion, along with her insightful songs, proved to be an indelible influence on rock and punk music, especially on the later movements of riot grrl and Afropunk.
“Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliche” is more than just a punk doc. It’s an intimate, and deeply probing portrait of Poly as a person searching for identity through her art, as seen through the eyes of her daughter, Celeste Bell, who co-directed the film with Paul Sng. The film is comprised of a wealth of archival material, plus interviews with family, friends and collaborators, as well as Celeste’s own voice-over detailing the experiences of growing up with and later learning about her mother. What emerges is a nuanced, detailed rendering of Poly, who died of breast cancer in 2011, crafted with care and honesty by her loved ones.
