Poly Styrene was the first woman of colour in the UK to front a successful rock band. 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. She was survived by a daughter, Celeste Bell, who became the unwitting guardian of her mother’s legacy. More than a journeyman rockumentary, Celeste Bell’s POLY STYRENE – I AM A CLICHÉ (2021, 99 min) is a thoughtfully finessed filial reckoning: a daughter’s journey toward understanding her mother as a young artist and as a young woman of color.

English subs. Free Entrance.