Joy Division (cert. 15)

synopsis

In 1976 four young men from ruined, post-industrial Manchester, went to see the Sex Pistols. They formed a band, Joy Division. Three years later it was a matter of art, life and death. Now thirty years later, they are enjoying a larger audience and more influence than ever before with a profound legacy that resonates fiercely in todays heavily careerist music industry and over-mediated pop culture. Featuring the unprecedented participation of the surviving band members (now know 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. With poignant narratives from surviving members of the band - Berhard Sumner, Peter Hook and Stephen Morris - as well as accounts from Throbbing Gristle musician Genesis P. Orridge, late legendary Factory Records owner Tony Wilson, iconic Factory Records graphic artist Peter Saville, photographer/filmmaker Anton Corbijin, Belgian journalist Annik Honore and others, the film is a fresh visual account of a time and place. From director Grant Gee and producers Tom Atencio, Tom Astor and Jacqui Edenbrow, Joy Division chronicles a time of great social and political change in England and tells the untold story of four men who transcended economic and cultural barriers to produce an enduring musical legacy.