In 1976 after attending a Sex Pistols concert, four young men from ruined, post-industrial Manchester founded Joy Division. Though the group achieved only modest success during their career, and released just two official albums, they have proven to be one of the most inventive and influential bands of their era. Featuring interviews with the surviving band members (commonly known as New Order), the film examines the band's story as depicted through never-before-seen live performance footage, personal photos, period films and newly discovered audio tapes. Joy Division chronicles a time of great social and political change, and how the group managed to transcend economic and cultural barriers to produce an enduring musical legacy. Joy Division was selected, among other festivals, by Toronto and IDFA.

Grant Gee, was born in Plymouth, England, and lives in Brighton. He has directed several shorts, including Found Sound (1997), 400 Anarchists (2002) and Mr. Fred Zentner's Cinema Bookshop Was Here (2005). His documentaries about musical groups Radiohead and Gorillaz – Meeting People Is Easy (1998) and Demon Days: Live at the Manchester Opera House (2005), respectively – received Grammy nominations for Best Long-form video.