Best Documentary Movies of 2002

The Life of Mammals is a nature documentary series written and presented by David Attenborough. A study of the evolution and habits of the various mammal species, it was the fourth of Attenborough's specialised surveys following his major trilogy that began with Life on Earth. Each of the ten episodes looks at one (or several closely related) mammal groups and discusses the different facets of their day-to-day existence and their evolutionary origins.

This documentary follows 8 teens and pre-teens as they work their way toward the finals of the Scripps Howard national spelling bee championship in Washington D.C.

A documentary about the rise of psychoanalysis as a powerful mean of persuasion for both governments and corporations.

Rock In Rio Festival 2001 - Iron Maiden headlines one of the biggest shows on Earth to a massive sell-out 250,000 crowd and a global TV audience of millions. The explosive two hour set, shot using 18 cameras and edited by Steve Harris, is Maiden at its best, performing their biggest show ever on the final date of their Brave New World Tour.

An on-the-scene documentary following the events of September 11, 2001 from an insider's view, through the lens of two French filmmakers who simply set out to make a movie about a rookie NYC fireman and ended up filming the tragic event that changed our lives forever.

Kevin Smith interacts in Q&A sessions throughout various college stops in the USA.

A documentary by photographer Sam Jones documenting American rock band Wilco recording their fourth album Yankee Hotel Foxtrot. Originally intended as a showcase of the band's creative process, the film crew catches unexpected complications between the band and its record label and problems among the band members themselves.

In 1995 Director Steve James (Hoop Dreams) returned to rural Southern Illinois to reconnect with Stevie Fielding, a troubled young boy he had been an 'Advocate Big Brother' to ten years earlier.

With the untimely passing of frontman Stuart Adamson in 2001, the title Final Fling couldn't be more sadly appropriate. This two-disc set captures Big Country toward the beginning and near the end of their 20-year career. The first disc features a 1988 performance from an outdoor peace concert in East Berlin, shortly before the release of Peace in Our Time (and before the Berlin Wall came down in 1989). It's a straightforward, electric set played in front of a huge, enthusiastic crowd during the twilight hours. The second disc finds the Scottish rockers back at their old stomping grounds, Glasgow's Barrowlands, while on their Driving to Damascus tour with the Alarm in 2000. They may look older, but their chiming twin-guitar attack is as passionate and rousing as ever. Both sets include such fan favorites as "Look Away," "Fields of Fire," and Top 40 hit "In a Big Country." --Kathleen C. Fennessy