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 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.

‘MY MUM WASN’T LIKE OTHER MUM’S’

– CELESTE BELL

CELESTE BELL: DIRECTOR

Celeste Bell spent her earliest years living on a Hare Krishna commune in the Hertfordshire countryside with her mother, Poly Styrene. After completing her degree from Queen Mary University of London, Celeste settled in Madrid where she worked as a teacher and formed ska-punk band Debutant Disco. After finishing a Master’s degree in Barcelona, Celeste returned to London to work alongside Zoë Howe on Day Glo! The Poly Styrene Story, published by Omnibus Press in 2019. They then joined forces with Paul Sng to make Poly Styrene: I Am a Cliché, a film to accompany the book. Celeste currently manages her mother’s artistic estate, co-curating an exhibition alongside Mattie Loyce at the 198 Contemporary Arts and Learning Centre in Brixton. She plans to tour the exhibition internationally after the pandemic and is currently working on her project, with the working title of Mr. Gorbachev and the Krishna Kids.

PAUL SNG: DIRECTOR

Paul Sng is a British Chinese filmmaker whose work focuses on people who challenge the status quo. Sng’s films are driven by methodical research, creative storytelling and a collaborative approach that strives for inclusivity and diversity in people and subjects. His films have been broadcast on UK national television and screened internationally, and include Invisible Britain, Dispossession and Social Housing, Social Cleansing. Underpinning all of Sng’s work is an eye for strong characters and compelling narratives, all the while working to establish and maintain trustful relationships with people in front of and behind the camera.

REBECCA MARK-LAWSON: PRODUCER

Mark-Lawson runs award-winning Tyke Films, producing work with original voices, exploring the intersection between documentary and fiction. Tyke Films’ feature documentary Irene’s Ghost was listed as one of the “Best Films of 2019” in The Guardian; it premiered at BFI London Film Festival, was nominated for a British Independent Film Award, and is currently being broadcast on Sky’s new documentary channel. Our mission is to make a bold contribution to the UK filmmaking landscape through a slate of unusual personal stories drawn from left-field sources and less represented geographies and communities. Tyke Films is supported by the BFI’s Vision Award 2020.

MATTHEW SILVERMAN: PRODUCER

Silverman is a Brooklyn-based producer specializing in independent film, television, and branded content. His latest film Last Ferry screened at Frameline, Newfest, and BFI Flare, and is now available on Netflix in the English-speaking world, as well as throughout Europe on OUTtv. He currently works as a creative producer at Movers+Shakers, a Brooklyn-based creative agency, and has worked across production, development, acquisitions, and sales at HBO, Showtime, Gravitas Ventures, and the SXSW-winning brand film studio Lonelyleap. He is a graduate of Northwestern's Medill School of Journalism and NYU's Stern School of Business.

DARIA NITSCHE: PRODUCER

Nitsche is an international filmmaker from Germany, and currently based in the UK. She started her career in 2006, working on programmes for Germany’s leading broadcaster ZDF, as well as global TV and cinema ads. In order to gain more international experience, she decided to move to the UK where she continued studying and received a Master’s degree in Film and Media Production. Since then she has worked in various production and postproduction roles on films and documentaries, as well as commercials and marketing videos for companies such as Netflix and Channel 4 News. Over the years she has gained a vast network of industry professionals, which has given her the opportunity to be involved in German, English, Italian, American and Nigerian productions.

XANNA WARD DIXON: EDITOR

After completing a Masters degree in Religious Studies from the University of Edinburgh, Xanna was accepted as a BBC and Adobe Scholar to study editing at the National Film and Television School. Since graduating. she has edited animation, fiction, and documentary films which have been screened across the world at festivals such as Cannes, BFI London, Palm Springs, and SXSW. She has editing broadcast credits on Channel 4, Netflix, and HBO. Nominations and awards include BAFTA, Grierson and the HBO Best Short at the American Black Film Festival. She is a highly collaborative and creative editor who aims to craft each film into an emotional and psychological journey.

NICK WARD: DIRECTOR OF PHOTOGRAPHY

Ward is an independent filmmaker and commercial DOP from Devon. He received a degree in film production from the University for the Creative Arts and a Masters in Research from the London Consortium/Birkbeck. His current personal work explores indigenous and preindustrial culture. His previous credits include Dispossession: The Great Social Housing Swindle (DOP) and Three Seasons in Quincy (camera).

ZOË HOWE: SCREENWRITER

Author, artist, and broadcaster Zoë Howe is best known for writing and collating acclaimed biographies of artists including Poly Styrene (Dayglo! The Poly Styrene Story, a collaboration with Celeste Bell), The Slits, the Jesus & Mary Chain, Wilko Johnson, and Stevie Nicks, amongst others. Her debut novel, Shine On, Marquee Moon was shortlisted for the Virginia Women’s Prize in 2016. Zoë is a visual artist and has worked musically with Viv Albertine, Helen McCookeryBook, and Steve Beresford, to name a few. She has worked with BBC Radio 6 Music, Absolute Radio, Resonance FM, 5 Live, and more, and currently presents the monthly show Rock ’n’ Roll Witch on Soho Radio. Zoë is a Royal Literary Fund Writing Fellow at the University of Cambridge. Her next book will be published by Llewellyn Worldwide in 2021.

RAOUL BRAND: SOUND DESIGNER

Brand is an award-winning sound designer and re-recording mixer based in London. He studied sound design at the NFTS where he graduated with a distinction in 2013. His graduation film Z1 was awarded Best Short Film at the British Independent Film Awards (BIFA). Since then, he has worked on many highly acclaimed TV documentaries, such as the 2x BAFTA and RTS award winner The Paedophile Hunter, and independent films, such as the BAFTA winning drama I am Not A Witch, the BIFA winning documentary Almost Heaven and BIFA nominated documentary Irene’s Ghost.

MARINA ELDERTON: COMPOSER

Marina Elderton is an award winning composer for film, television, and independent artists, based in London. Her practice combines experimental textures with traditional instruments. She has composed scores for Film4, BBC, and BFI Films, as well as Royal Television Award-winning documentaries, shorts, and commercials. Graduating from the National Film and Television School, she received two scholarships from the Musicians' Union and Wingate Foundation. Her solo music project UV is supported by the PRS Women Make Music Foundation and she co-founded the woman sound artist collective Erinyes.

NIKKI PARROTT AND NATASHA DACK: EXECUTIVE PRODUCERS

Parrott and Dack are executive producers and the co-founders of Tigerlily Productions. A multi-award winning and multi-BAFTA nominated production company, Tigerlily works across scripted, factual, and feature films. Previous factual output includes several films for the prestigious BBC Storyville strand, documentaries for all the major UK broadcasters as well as international co-productions with A&E, IFC, Arte, and ZDF. Tigerlily's feature films have been released theatrically worldwide, received acclaim at A-list film festivals, and sold to platforms such as Netflix and Amazon. In 2018, Parrott and Dack were invited to join the Academy of Motion Picture Arts and Sciences (OSCARS).