POLY STYRENE: I AM A CLICHE

POLY STYRENE: I AM A CLICHÉ
2021 | Dir Celeste Bell, Paul Sng | 89mins | GB

Poly Styrene was the first woman of colour in the UK to front a successful rock band.
She introduced the world to a new sound of rebellion, using her unconventional voice to sing about identity, consumerism, postmodernism, and everything she saw unfolding in late 1970s Britain, with a rare prescience. As the frontwoman of X-Ray Spex, the Anglo-Somali punk musician was also a key inspiration for the riot grrrl and Afropunk movements. But the late punk maverick didn’t just leave behind an immense cultural footprint.
Celeste Bell, Poly’s daughter, became the unwitting guardian of her mother’s legacy and her mother’s demons. Misogyny, racism, and mental illness plagued Poly’s life, while their lasting trauma scarred Celeste’s childhood and the pair’s relationship.
Featuring unseen archive material and rare diary entries narrated by Oscar-nominee Ruth Negga, this documentary follows Celeste as she examines her mother’s unopened artistic archive and traverses three continents to better understand Poly the icon and Poly the mother.

The David Lean Cinema shares a proportion of the ticket price with the distributor when purchased through the link on this page.
Available to watch for 48 hours after purchase.
Distributor: Modern Films – no account required.

HERE TO BE HEARD: THE STORY OF THE SLITS (15) – 2017 UK 86 min, plus live Q&A

Note 7.00 pm start

Director: William E. Badgley
Features: Viv Albertine, Ari Up, Tessa Pollitt, Palmolive, Don Letts

image from filmThe Slits were a groundbreaking London all-girl band that emerged during the punk explosion of 1976. Their attitude and notoriety meant they were soon touring with The Clash and attracting national press interest. Musically far more adventurous than most of their peers, they pioneered ‘Punky Reggae’ and embraced elements of world music.

image from filmWith press cuttings, photos and previously unseen footage, this illuminating documentary covers the band’s two eras: 1976 to 1981, and 2005 to 2010, when singer Ari Up sadly passed away. There are interviews with key members and several others – including former manager Don Letts; album producer Dennis Bovell; and Sex Pistols drummer Paul Cook.image from film
Ari Up began making a Slits film with Jennifer Shagawat, who was the band’s tour manager from 2006. Jennifer contacted her friend William Badgley (USA-based writer/director/producer of rock documentary Kill All Redneck Pricks) in 2012, seeking help to complete the project. Despite enormous challenges, his commitment to a labour of love means the extraordinary story of an influential and inspirational band can now be told, offering a rare female inside view of punk.


We’re delighted that the screening will be followed by a live Q&A with William Badgley (over from Bellingham, Washington) and Slits bass player Tessa Pollitt.
This will be chaired by Mark Williams, director of VHS Forever? Psychotronic People and a recent series of Smash It Up punk interviews.

image from film

[fvplayer src=”https://youtu.be/XqsHv5V4DQA”]
Plus a BRIT School Showcase film, screened in partnership with the School’s Film & Media Production department.
For this film we are showing For King and Country (2.59 mins), directed by George O’Regan.

David Lean Cinema, Croydon on Thursday 29 March 2018

Show starts at 7.00 pm, ticket prices £8.50 & £7.00 (concessions).
Click on time to make a booking.