Event
Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché [In-Person Only]
Wed Mar 09: 7.00pm PDT
Thu Mar 10: 7.00pm PDT
$13 General Admission
$10 Student/Child/Senior
$7 Member
*** Public safety notice ***
NWFF patrons will be required to double-mask while in the building. Disposable masks are available at the door for those who need them. To be admitted, patrons ages 5+ will also be required to present EITHER proof of COVID-19 vaccination OR a negative result from a COVID-19 test administered within the last 48 hours by an official testing facility. Boosters are strongly recommended, though not required for entry.
NWFF is adapting to evolving recommendations to protect the public from COVID-19. Read more about their policies regarding cleaning, masks, and capacity limitations at bit.ly/nwffcovidsafety
Celeste Bell & Paul Sng
United Kingdom
2021
1h 36m
Series - Music in Motion
About
Poly Styrene was the first woman of color 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 didnt just leave behind an immense cultural footprint. She was survived by a daughter, Celeste Bell, who became the unwitting guardian of her mothers legacy and her mothers demons. Misogyny, racism, and mental illness plagued Polys life, while their lasting trauma scarred Celestes childhood and the pairs relationship.
Featuring unseen archival material and rare diary entries narrated by Oscar-nominee Ruth Negga, this documentary follows Celeste as she examines her mothers unopened artistic archive and traverses three continents to better understand Poly the icon and Poly the mother.
(Celeste Bell & Paul Sng, United Kingdom, 2021, 96 min, in English)
Synopsis courtesy of Tyke Films. Still image credits can be found in file names; archival stills are courtesy of BBC Arena, contemporary stills (of Polys daughter) are courtesy of Poly Doc Ltd.
as compelling, mysterious, moving and inspiring as Polys own pop art. Stephen Troussé, UNCUT
Poly Styrene: I Am A Cliché mixes the personal with the historical to produce a documentary of profound impact and style. James Hanton, Outtake Mag
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LocationNorthwest Film Forum (View)
1515 12th Ave.
Seattle, WA 98122
United States
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Accessibility
Ticketing, concessions, cinemas, restrooms, and our public edit lab are located on Northwest Film Forum's ground floor, which is wheelchair accessible. We have a limited number of assistive listening devices available for programs hosted in our larger theater, Cinema 1. These devices are maintained by the Technical Director, and can be requested at the ticketing and concessions counter.
The Forum does NOT have assistive devices for the visually impaired, and is not (yet) a scent-free venue. Our commitment to increasing access for our audiences is ongoing, and we welcome all public input on the subject!
If you have additional specific questions about accessibility at our venue, please contact our Executive Director Vivian Hua at vivian@nwfilmforum.org
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