Instrument was shot from 1987 through 1998 on super 8, 16mm and video and is composed mainly of footage of concerts, interviews with the band members, practices, tours and time spent in the studio recording their 1995 album, Red Medicine.

[2] Cohen's relationship with band member Ian MacKaye extends back to the 1970s when the two met in high school in Washington, D.C.[3] When asked what the goal was in making Instrument, Cohen responded: I did feel that there were a lot of people that either didn't have access to the band or had something of a misconception of what they were like.

[4]One such misconception is shared in a scene where drummer Brendan Canty tells his bandmates how his sister's boyfriend believes that Fugazi lives in a house together without heat and subsisting on a steady diet of nothing but rice.

It consisted primarily of instrumental and unreleased songs (including many demo cuts from End Hits, their next album after the soundtrack).

Time Out and Variety's reviews for Instrument were generally positive, although they found it to be a bit lengthy, especially for those who do not find themselves to be fans of the band.