Best Documentary Movies of 2012

1.

Searching for Sugar Man

5.8
8.2/10 IMDB

Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock 'n' roller, Rodriguez. The film won Best Documentary at the 85th Academy Awards.

Starring: Dennis Coffey, Rodriguez, Stephen Segerman, Mike Theodore, Regan Rodriguez, Sandra Rodriguez-Kennedy, Eva Rodriguez, Clarence Avant, Steve Rowland, Malik Bendjelloul ..
Directed by: Malik Bendjelloul
Release date: 2012-06-30
2.

Marley

5.5
7.9/10 IMDB

Bob Marley's universal appeal, impact on music history and role as a social and political prophet is both unique and unparalleled. Directed by Academy Award-winning director Kevin Macdonald (The Last King of Scotland), MARLEY is the definitive life story of the musician, revolutionary, and legend, from his early days to his rise to international superstardom. Made with the support of the Marley family, the film features rare footage, incredible performances and revelatory interviews with the people that knew him best.

Starring: Bob Marley, Ziggy Marley, Rita Marley, Cedella Marley, Jimmy Cliff, Chris Blackwell, Bunny Wailer, Bob Marley, Cedella Booker, Chris Blackwell ..
Directed by: Kevin Macdonald
Release date: 2012-04-20
3.

Indie Game: The Movie

5.4
7.6/10 IMDB

Follows the dramatic journeys of video game developers as they create and release their games to the world. It's about making video games, but at its core, it's about the creative process, and exposing yourself through your work.

Starring: Jonathan Blow, Phil Fish, Edmund McMillen, Tommy Refenes ..
Directed by: Lisanne Pajot, James Swirsky
Release date: 2012-05-18
4.

Side by Side

5.3
7.6/10 IMDB

Since the invention of cinema, the standard format for recording moving images has been film. Over the past two decades, a new form of digital filmmaking has emerged, creating a groundbreaking evolution in the medium. Keanu Reeves explores the development of cinema and the impact of digital filmmaking via in-depth interviews with Hollywood masters, such as James Cameron, David Fincher, David Lynch, Christopher Nolan, Martin Scorsese, George Lucas, Steven Soderbergh, and many more.

Starring: Keanu Reeves, Martin Scorsese, James Cameron, David Fincher, David Lynch, Lars von Trier, Steven Soderbergh, Danny Boyle, George Lucas, Robert Rodriguez ..
Directed by: Christopher Kenneally
Release date: 2012-08-19
5.

The Imposter

5.3
7.5/10 IMDB

In 1994 a 13-year-old boy disappeared without a trace from his home in San Antonio, Texas. Three-and-a-half years later he is found alive thousands of miles away in a village in southern Spain with a horrifying story of kidnap and torture. His family is overjoyed to bring him home. But all is not quite as it seems.

Starring: Frédéric Bourdin, Adam O'Brian, Anna Ruben, Cathy Dresbach, Alan Teichman, Ivan Villanueva, María Jesús Hoyos, Ken Appledorn, Mary Twala, Seipati Motshwane ..
Directed by: Bart Layton
Release date: 2012-07-13
6.

Stories We Tell

5.2
7.5/10 IMDB

Canadian actress and filmmaker Sarah Polley investigates certain secrets related to her mother, interviewing a group of family members and friends whose reliability varies depending of their implication in the events, which are remembered in different ways; so a trail of questions remains to be answered, because memory is always changing and the discovery of truth often depends on who is telling the tale.

Starring: Michael Polley, Harry Gulkin, Susy Buchan, John Buchan, Mark Polley, Joanna Polley, Cathy Gulkin, Marie Murphy, Robert MacMillan, Deirdre Bowen ..
Directed by: Sarah Polley
Release date: 2012-10-12
7.

The Queen of Versailles

5.2
7.1/10 IMDB

With the epic dimensions of a Shakespearean tragedy, The Queen of Versailles follows billionaires Jackie and David’s rags-to-riches story to uncover the innate virtues and flaws of their American dream. We open on the triumphant construction of the biggest house in America, a sprawling, 90,000-square-foot mansion inspired by Versailles. Since a booming time-share business built on the real-estate bubble is financing it, the economic crisis brings progress to a halt and seals the fate of its owners. We witness the impact of this turn of fortune over the next two years in a riveting film fraught with delusion, denial, and self-effacing humor.

Starring: Jaqueline Siegel, David Siegel, Virginia Nebab, Katie Stam ..
Directed by: Lauren Greenfield
Release date: 2012-07-06
8.

We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists

5.1
7.2/10 IMDB

Takes us inside the world of Anonymous, the radical "hacktivist" collective that has redefined civil disobedience for the digital age. The film explores early hacktivist groups like Cult of the Dead Cow and Electronic Disturbance Theater, then moves to Anonymous' raucous beginnings on the website 4chan. Through interviews with current members, people recently returned from prison or facing trial, writers, academics, activists and major players in various "raids," the documentary traces Anonymous’ evolution from merry pranksters to a full-blown movement with a global reach, the most transformative civil disobedience of our time.

Starring: Anon2World, Anonyops, Julian Assange, Aaron Barr, Barrett Brown, Adrian Chen, Steven Levy, Quinn Norton, Stanley Cohen, Gabriella Coleman ..
Directed by: Brian Knappenberger
Release date: 2012-01-20
9.

John Mulaney: New in Town

5.0
8.2/10 IMDB

Stand-up comedian John Mulaney tackles such red-hot topics as quicksand, Motown singers and an elderly man he once met in a bathroom.

Starring: John Mulaney, Amy Schumer ..
Directed by: Ryan Polito, Jake Szymanski
Release date: 2012-01-31
10.

Chasing Ice

4.9
7.7/10 IMDB

When National Geographic photographer James Balog asked, “How can one take a picture of climate change?” his attention was immediately drawn to ice. Soon he was asked to do a cover story on glaciers that became the most popular and well-read piece in the magazine during the last five years. But for Balog, that story marked the beginning of a much larger and longer-term project that would reach epic proportions.

Starring: James Balog, Svavar Jonatansson, Adam LeWinter, Louie Psihoyos, Kitty Boone, Sylvia Earle, Dennis Dimick, Jason Box, Tad Pfeffer, Suzanne Balog ..
Directed by: Jeff Orlowski
Release date: 2012-10-01
11.

Marina Abramovi?: The Artist Is Present

4.8
7.8/10 IMDB

Performance artist Marina Abramovic prepares for a major retrospective of her work at the Museum of Modern Art in New York.

Starring: Marina Abramovi?, Ulay, Klaus Biesenbach, David Balliano, Chrissie Iles, Arthur Danto, David Blaine, James Franco, Orlando Bloom, Josephine Decker ..
Directed by: Matthew Akers
Release date: 2012-06-13
12.

Katy Perry: Part of Me

4.7
5.9/10 IMDB

Giving fans unprecedented access to the real life of the music sensation, Katy Perry: Part of Me exposes the hard work, dedication and phenomenal talent of a girl who remained true to herself and her vision in order to achieve her dreams. Featuring rare behind-the-scenes interviews, personal moments between Katy and her friends, and all-access footage of rehearsals, choreography, Katy’s signature style and more, Katy Perry: Part of Me reveals the singer’s unwavering belief that if you can be yourself, then you can be anything.

Starring: Katy Perry, Russell Brand, Shannon Woodward, Rachael Markarian, Mia Moretti, Glen Ballard, Adam Marcello, Casey Hooper, Patrick Matera, Max Hart ..
Directed by: Dan Cutforth, Jane Lipsitz
Release date: 2012-06-28
13.

I Am Bruce Lee

4.7
7.4/10 IMDB

Bruce Lee is universally recognized as the pioneer who elevated martial arts in film to an art form, and this documentary will reveal why Bruce Lee's flame burns brighter now than the day he died over three decades ago. The greatest martial artists, athletes, actors, directors, and producers in the entertainment business today will share their feelings about the one who started it all. We will interview the people whose lives, careers, and belief systems were forever altered by the legendary "Father of Martial Arts Cinema". Rarely seen archival footage and classic photos will punctuate the personal testimonials. Prepare to be inspired.

Starring: Bruce Lee, Linda Lee Cadwell, Shannon Lee, Dan Inosanto, Diana Lee Inosanto, Kobe Bryant, Stephan Bonnar, Gina Carano, Reginald Hudlin, Mickey Rourke ..
Directed by: Pete McCormack
Release date: 2012-02-09
14.

Led Zeppelin: Celebration Day

4.6
8.8/10 IMDB

On 10th December 2007, Led Zeppelin took the stage at London's O2 Arena to headline a tribute concert for dear friend and Atlantic Records founder Ahmet Ertegun. Founding members John Paul Jones, Jimmy Page and Robert Plant were joined by Jason Bonham, the son of their late drummer John Bonham, to perform 16 songs from their celebrated catalog.

Starring: Robert Plant, Jimmy Page, John Paul Jones, Jason Bonham, Led Zeppelin ..
Directed by: Dick Carruthers
Release date: 2012-10-17
15.

The Pervert's Guide to Ideology

4.6
7.6/10 IMDB

A journey into the labyrinthine heart of ideology, which shapes and justifies both collective and personal beliefs and practices: with an infectious zeal and voracious appetite for popular culture, Slovenian philosopher and psychoanalyst Slavoj Žižek analyzes several of the most important films in the history of cinema to explain how cinematic narrative helps to reinforce prevailing ethics and political ideas.

Starring: Slavoj Žižek ..
Directed by: Sophie Fiennes
Release date: 2012-11-15
16.

Room 237

4.4
6.2/10 IMDB

A subjective documentary that explores various theories about hidden meanings in Stanley Kubrick's classic film The Shining. Five very different points of view are illuminated through voice over, film clips, animation and dramatic reenactments.

Starring: Stephen King, Bill Blakemore, Geoffrey Cocks, Juli Kearns, John Fell Ryan, Jay Weidner ..
Directed by: Rodney Ascher
Release date: 2012-10-26
Best Documentary Movies of 2012 : The Untold History Of The United States
17.

The Untold History Of The United States

4.4
8.6/10 IMDB

Oliver Stone charts the history of the United States from the Second World War to the present.

Starring: Oliver Stone, Vasili Arkhipov, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Henry A. Wallace, Harry S. Truman, Joseph Stalin, Winston Churchill, Barack Obama, George W. Bush, John F. Kennedy ..
Directed by: Oliver Stone
Release date: 2012-11-12
18.

London 2012 Olympic Opening Ceremony: Isles of Wonder

4.3
8.3/10 IMDB

The London 2012 Olympic Games Opening Ceremony took place at 9pm on 27 July 2012. Titled 'Isles of Wonder', the Ceremony welcomed the finest athletes from more than 200 nations for the start of the London 2012 Olympic Games, marking an historic third time the capital has hosted the world’s biggest and most important sporting event. The Opening Ceremony reflected the key themes and priorities of the London 2012 Games, based on sport, inspiration, youth and urban transformation. It was a Ceremony 'for everyone' and celebrated contributions the UK has made to the world through innovation and revolution, as well as the creativity and exuberance of British people.

Starring: Queen Elizabeth II of the United Kingdom, Mike Oldfield, Kenneth Branagh, J.K. Rowling, Paul McCartney, Rowan Atkinson, Daniel Craig, David Beckham, Prince Philip, Emeli Sandé ..
Directed by: Danny Boyle
Release date: 2012-07-27
19.

Bones Brigade: An Autobiography

4.2
8.1/10 IMDB

When six teenage boys came together as a skateboarding team in the 1980s, they reinvented not only their chosen sport but themselves too – as they evolved from insecure outsiders to the most influential athletes in the field.

Starring: Tony Alva, Steve Caballero, Shepard Fairey, Tommy Guerrero, Ben Harper, Tony Hawk, Christian Hosoi, Mike McGill, Lance Mountain, Rodney Mullen ..
Directed by: Stacy Peralta
Release date: 2012-01-21
20.

McCullin

4.1
8.2/10 IMDB

Biographical documentary of the war photographer Don McCullin, with sections on his upbringing, early work for the Observer and extensive war reporting for the Sunday Times until the purchase of the newspaper by Rupert Murdoch in the 1980s.

Starring: Don McCullin ..
Directed by: Jacqui Morris, David Morris
Release date: 2012-04-26
21.

Inner Worlds, Outer Worlds

4.1
8.4/10 IMDB

There is one vibratory field that connects all things. It has been called Akasha, Logos, the primordial OM, the music of the spheres, the Higgs field, dark energy, and a thousand other names throughout history. The vibratory field is at the root of all true spiritual experience and scientific investigation. It is the same field of energy that saints, Buddhas, yogis, mystics, priests, shamans and seers, have observed by looking within themselves. Many of history's monumental thinkers, such a Pythagoras, Kepler, Leonardo DaVinci, Tesla, and Einstein, have come to the threshold of this great mystery. It is the common link between all religions, all sciences, and the link between our inner worlds and our outer worlds.

Directed by: Daniel Schmidt
Release date: 2012-12-19
22.

Jason Becker: Not Dead Yet

4.1
8.0/10 IMDB

When doctors diagnosed 19-year-old rock star Jason Becker with Lou Gehrig's Disease, they said he would never make music again and that he wouldn’t live to see his 25th birthday. 22 years later, without the ability to move or to speak, Jason is alive and making music with his eyes.

Starring: Jason Becker, Joe Satriani, Steve Vai, Marty Friedman ..
Directed by: Jesse Vile
Release date: 2012-03-03
Best Documentary Movies of 2012 : You Don't Know Bo
23.

You Don't Know Bo

4.1
8.1/10 IMDB

A close look at two-sport athlete Bo Jackson and the creation of a legend. Even without winning a Super Bowl or World Series, Bo will forever be known as a cultural icon and one of the most famous athletes of all time. This film will examine the truths and tall tales that surround Jackson, and how his seemingly impossible feats captured our collective imagination for an all-too-brief moment in time.

Starring: Bo Jackson, James Andrews, Bomani Jones, Boomer Esiason, Mike Greenberg, Chuck Klosterman, Howie Long, Jeremy Schaap, Michael Weinreb, Marcellus Wiley ..
Directed by: Michael Bonfiglio
Release date: 2012-12-08
24.

The House I Live In

4.1
7.9/10 IMDB

In the past 40 years, the War on Drugs has accounted for 45 million arrests, made America the world's largest jailer, and destroyed impoverished communities at home and abroad. Yet drugs are cheaper, purer, and more available today than ever. Where did we go wrong?

Starring: Eugene Jarecki, Joe Biden, George H. W. Bush, Rudolph Giuliani, John McCain, Nelson Rockefeller, Hillary Clinton, Bill Clinton, Lyndon B. Johnson, Martin Luther King Jr. ..
Directed by: Eugene Jarecki
Release date: 2012-10-05
25.

Artifact

4.1
7.9/10 IMDB

Follow 30 Seconds to Mars as they record their latest album, This Is War, and their battle against record label EMI.

Starring: Jared Leto, Shannon Leto, Tomo Mili?evi?, Irving Azoff, Chester Bennington, Brandon Boyd, Angelica Cob-Baehler, Sonny DiPerri, Daniel Ek, Robert Ezrin ..
Directed by: Jared Leto
Release date: 2012-09-14
26.

The Central Park Five

4.1
7.7/10 IMDB

In 1989, five black and Latino teenagers from Harlem were arrested and later convicted of raping a white woman in New York City's Central Park. They spent between 6 and 13 years in prison before a serial rapist confessed that he alone had committed the crime, leading to their convictions being overturned. Set against a backdrop of a decaying city beset by violence and racial tension, this is the story of that horrific crime, the rush to judgment by the police, a media clamoring for sensational stories and an outraged public, and the five lives upended by this miscarriage of justice.

Starring: Antron McCray, Kevin Richardson, Yusef Salaam, Raymond Santana, Kharey Wise, Matias Reyes, Jim Dwyer, Angela Black, Ed Koch, Craig Steven Wilder ..
Directed by: Sarah Burns, Ken Burns, David McMahon
Release date: 2012-05-24
Best Documentary Movies of 2012 : Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview
27.

Steve Jobs: The Lost Interview

4.1
8.0/10 IMDB

In a television interview filmed in 1995, Steve Jobs talks frankly about his early life, competition with Microsoft and his vision for the future, while he was running NeXT, the company he founded after leaving Apple.

Starring: Steve Jobs, Bob Cringely ..
Directed by: Paul Sen
Release date: 2012-05-11
28.

Mea Maxima Culpa: Silence in the House of God

4.1
8.0/10 IMDB

Academy Award®–winning documentary filmmaker Alex Gibney (Taxi to the Dark Side) explores the charged issue of pedophilia in the Catholic Church, following a trail from the first known protest against clerical sexual abuse in the United States and all way to the Vatican.

Starring: Jamey Sheridan, Chris Cooper, Ethan Hawke, John Slattery, Brady Bryson, Pope Pius XI, Benito Mussolini, Archbishop Rembert Weakland ..
Directed by: Alex Gibney
Release date: 2012-11-16
29.

Smyrna: The Destruction of a Cosmopolitan City - 1900-1922

4.1
8.4/10 IMDB

A unique exhibition of rare and unknown photographs of Smyrna from American and European archives and private collections.

Starring: Eleni Bastea, Alexandros Kitroev, Giles Milton, Jack Nalbantian, Leyla Neyzi, Viktoria Solomonidou, Thanos Veremis ..
Directed by: Maria Ilioú
Release date: 2012-09-13
30.

Pink Floyd : The Story of Wish You Were Here

4.0
7.9/10 IMDB

Wish You Were Here, released in September 1975, was the follow up album to the globally successful The Dark Side Of The Moon and is cited by many fans, as well as band members Richard Wright and David Gilmour, as their favorite Pink Floyd album. On release it went straight to Number One in both the UK and the US and topped the charts in many other countries around the world. This program tells the story of the making of this landmark release through new interviews with Roger Waters, David Gilmour and Nick Mason and archive interviews with the late Richard Wright. Also featured are sleeve designer Storm Thorgerson, guest vocalist Roy Harper, front cover burning man Ronnie Rondell and others involved in the creation of the album. In addition, original recording engineer Brian Humphries revisits the master tapes at Abbey Road Studios to illustrate aspects of the songs construction.

Starring: Roger Waters, David Gilmour, Nick Mason, Storm Thorgerson, Richard Wright ..
Directed by: John Edginton
Release date: 2012-06-26
31.

West of Memphis

4.0
7.9/10 IMDB

The documentary tells the hitherto unknown story behind an extraordinary and desperate fight to bring the truth to light. Told and made by those who lived it, the filmmakers' unprecedented access to the inner workings of the defense, allows the film to show the investigation, research and appeals process in a way that has never been seen before; revealing shocking and disturbing new information about a case that still haunts the Unitedstatian South.

Starring: Jason Baldwin, Julie Ann Doan, Damien Wayne Echols, Pam Hobbs, Jessie Misskelley, Lorri Davis, Eddie Vedder, Peter Jackson ..
Directed by: Amy J. Berg
Release date: 2012-12-25
32.

Bad 25

4.0
7.9/10 IMDB

Spike Lee pays tribute to Michael Jackson's Bad on the twenty-fifth anniversary of the epochal album, offering behind-the-scenes footage of Jackson recording the album and interviews with confidants, musicians, choreographers, and such music-world superstars as Kanye West, Sheryl Crow, Cee Lo Green and Mariah Carey.

Starring: Michael Jackson, Spike Lee, Sheryl Crow, Cee Lo Green, Mariah Carey, Questlove, Kanye West, Martin Scorsese, Thelma Schoonmaker, Stevie Wonder ..
Directed by: Spike Lee
Release date: 2012-11-22
33.

Ai Weiwei: Never Sorry

4.0
7.5/10 IMDB

An account of the many tribulations that Chinese artist Ai Weiwei, known for his subversive art and political activism, endured between 2008 and 2011, from his rise to world fame via the Internet to his highly publicized arrest due to his frequent and daring confrontations with the Chinese authorities.

Starring: Ai Weiwei, Chen Danqing, Li Zhanyang, Hung Huang, Ethan Cohen, Phil Tinari, Feng Boyi, Evan Osnos, Liu Yanping, Huang Kankan ..
Directed by: Alison Klayman
Release date: 2012-06-14
34.

Top Gear: The Worst Car In the History of the World

4.0
7.6/10 IMDB

Jeremy Clarkson and James May travel to the North of England to name and shame some of the worst cars in history, from manufacturers who "should have known better".

Starring: Jeremy Clarkson, James May, Richard Hammond ..
Directed by: Phil Churchward
Release date: 2012-11-19
Best Documentary Movies of 2012 : Saving Face
35.

Saving Face

4.0
8.0/10 IMDB

Every year hundreds of people - mostly women - are attacked with acid in Pakistan. Follow several of these survivors, their fight for justice, and a Pakistani plastic surgeon who has returned to his homeland to help them restore their faces and their lives.

Starring: Sarkar Abbas, Mohammad Jawad ..
Directed by: Daniel Junge, Sharmeen Obaid-Chinoy
Release date: 2012-03-08
Best Documentary Movies of 2012 : Where the Trail Ends
36.

Where the Trail Ends

4.0
7.6/10 IMDB

"Where the Trail Ends..." is a film following the worlds' top freeride mountain bikers as they search for un-ridden terrain around the globe, ultimately shaping the future of big mountain freeriding. This unparalleled story documents man's challenge of mother nature and himself showcased through a cast of colorful characters. This is the most progressive and ambitious mountain biking ever attempted resulting in an entertainment adventure unlike anything experienced before.

Starring: Darren Berrecloth, Kurt Sorge, Andreu Lacondeguy, Cam McCaul, Cameron Zink, James Doerfling, Paul Basagoitia, Robbie Bourdon, Kyle Strait, Mike Kinrade ..
Directed by: Jeremy Grant
Release date: 2012-09-19
37.

Four Horsemen

4.0
7.7/10 IMDB

Documentary about the modern apocalypse caused by a rapacious banking system. 23 leading thinkers – frustrated at the failure of their respective disciplines – break their silence to explain how the world really works.

Starring: Noam Chomsky, Joseph Stiglitz, John Perkins, James Turk, Herman Daly, Max Keiser, Max Keiser, Max Keiser ..
Directed by: Ross Ashcroft
Release date: 2012-03-14
38.

Taylor Swift: VH1 Storytellers

4.0
8.8/10 IMDB

Filmed as part of the VH1 Storytellers series, Taylor Swift performed a live acoustic concert on October 15, 2012 at the Bridges Auditorium, after the Harvey Mudd College won the "Taylor Swift on Campus" contest.

Starring: Taylor Swift, Taylor Swift, David Cook, Caitlin Evanson, Amos Heller, Kamilah Marshall, Michael Meadows, Grant Mickelson, Melanie Nyema, Paul Sidoti ..
Directed by: Taylor Swift, Alex Coletti
Release date: 2012-11-12
39.

Beauty Is Embarrassing

4.0
7.5/10 IMDB

Raised in the Tennessee mountains, Wayne White started his career as a cartoonist in NYC. He quickly found success as one of the creators of the Pee-wee's Playhouse TV show which soon led to more work designing some of the most arresting and iconic images in pop culture. Recently his word paintings featuring pithy and and often sarcastic text statements finely crafted onto vintage landscape paintings have made him a darling of the fine art world. The movie chronicles the vaulted highs and crushing lows of an artist struggling to find peace and balance between his professional work and his personal art. This is especially complicated for a man who struggles with the virtues he most often mocks in his art...Vanity, ego and fame.

Starring: Wayne White, Mimi Pond, Woodrow White, Lulu White, Gary Panter, Mark Mothersbaugh, Ric Heitzman, Billie June White, Willis White ..
Directed by: Neil Berkeley
Release date: 2012-09-07
40.

Beware of Mr. Baker

4.0
7.6/10 IMDB

Ginger Baker is known for playing in Cream and Blind Faith, but the world's greatest drummer didn’t hit his stride until 1972, when he arrived in Nigeria and discovered Fela Kuti's Afrobeat. After leaving Nigeria, Ginger returned to his pattern of drug-induced self-destruction, and countless groundbreaking musical works, eventually settling in South Africa, where the 73-year-old lives with his young bride and 39 polo ponies. This documentary includes interviews with Eric Clapton, Steve Winwood, Carlos Santana and more. Beware of Mr. Baker! With every smash of the drum is a man smashing his way through life.

Starring: Ginger Baker, Bob Adcock, Tony Allen, Carmine Appice, Ginette Baker, Eric Clapton, Stewart Copeland, Jay Bulger, Jack Bruce, Brian Auger ..
Directed by: Jay Bulger
Release date: 2012-11-28
Best Documentary Movies of 2012 : The World Is Watching: Making the Hunger Games
41.

The World Is Watching: Making the Hunger Games

3.9
8.6/10 IMDB

A feature length, eight part documentary that covers everything from pre-production to adapting the source novel to casting to shooting to post and marketing. This is an amazing in-depth piece and it's notable how many women were involved in this production, from several Lionsgate executives to novelist Suzanne Collins herself. Jennifer Lawrence talks about her "hypocrisy" in not wanting to do a big budget blockbuster after having devoted herself to indies (despite X-Men, which she seems to discount somewhat). There's also a nice sequence on the strength and weight training the actors went through and the stunts that are so notable in the film, as well as having to dance around the violence implicit in the story due to the planned PG-13 rating the filmmakers were aiming for.

Starring: Jennifer Lawrence, Suzanne Collins, Gary Ross, Donald Sutherland, Josh Hutcherson, Liam Hemsworth, Allison Shearmur, Nina Jacobson, David Levithan, Billy Ray ..
Release date: 2012-08-18
42.

Casting By

3.9
7.6/10 IMDB

This essential new documentary pays tribute to the legacy of the late, legendary casting director Marion Dougherty and shines a light on one of the most overlooked and least understood crafts in filmmaking.

Starring: Jeff Bridges, Robert De Niro, Robert Duvall, Clint Eastwood, John Travolta, Jon Voight, Al Pacino, Glenn Close, Danny Glover, Woody Allen ..
Directed by: Tom Donahue
Release date: 2012-09-09
Best Documentary Movies of 2012 : Being and Becoming Chua Ek Kay
43.

Being and Becoming Chua Ek Kay

3.9
8.7/10 IMDB

The film offers exclusive and intimate insights into how and why the classically trained artist risked rejection to revolutionize the traditional Chinese ink art form in Singapore.

Directed by: Jacqueline Smith
Release date: 2012-01-01
44.

Mumford & Sons: The Road to Red Rocks

3.9
8.3/10 IMDB

1. Lovers' Eyes 2. Little Lion Man 3. Below My Feet 4. Roll Away Your Stone 5. Lover Of The Light 6. Thistle & Weeds 7. Ghosts That We Knew 8. Awake My Soul 9. Whispers In The Dark 10. Dust Bowl Dance 11. I Will Wait 12. The Cave English folk rock band captured live in performance at the Red Rocks Ampitheatre in Colorado in summer 2012. As well as footage of the concert itself the journey of the band to Red Rocks is explored, from their humble origins in the West London music scene to their ability to sell out the spectacular 10,000 capacity open-air amphitheatre.

Starring: Marcus Mumford, Ted Dwane, Ben Lovett, Winston Marshall, Ben Lovett ..
Directed by: Nicolas Jack Davies, Frederick Scott
Release date: 2012-11-26
45.

Souls of Zen: Ancestors and Agency in Contemporary Japanese Temple Buddhism

3.9
8.5/10 IMDB

The Japanese population’s reaction to the catastrophe of March 2011 has been described as “stoic” by the Western media. The Japanese code of conduct is indeed deeply rooted in their Buddhist traditions, and young filmmakers Tim Graf and Jakob Montrasio observe in detail what this means for the people and their religion. At graveyards, in temples, at monasteries and with families, they question the impact this triple affliction has had on the lives and beliefs of the inhabitants. How deeply do their beliefs affect their grieving? What role do the monks play in assisting people with their grief? And, what effects has this enormous catastrophe had on their religious rituals? SOULS OF ZEN inserts the events of March 2011 into the context of traditional Zen Buddhism, examining Japan’s religiousness and the beliefs of those practising it at a crucial turning point.

Starring: Tenzin Gyatso, Tomonori Abe ..
Directed by: Jakob Montrasio, Tim Graf
Release date: 2012-06-01
46.

Alan Partridge: Welcome to the Places of My Life

3.9
7.8/10 IMDB

Alan Partridge attempts a celebrity travelogue around his beloved Norwich.

Starring: Steve Coogan, Dolly Wells, Graham Duff, Harmage Singh Kalirai, Robert Demeger ..
Directed by: Dave Lambert
Release date: 2012-06-25
47.

Freddie Mercury: The Great Pretender

3.9
7.6/10 IMDB

Archive footage of interviews, concerts and personal material bring to light the solo performance work of Mercury, the lead singer of Queen.

Starring: Freddie Mercury, Roger Taylor, Brian May, Luciano Pavarotti, Montserrat Caballé, Peter Freestone, David Arnold, Jim Beach, John Reid, Matt Lucas ..
Directed by: Rhys Thomas
Release date: 2012-09-25
48.

Lasseter's Bones

3.9
8.1/10 IMDB

Australia’s El Dorado was found by Lewis Harold Bell Lasseter – if we believe his claims in the late 1800s to have discovered a vast gold deposit in central Australia. This mysterious place has never again been found, and many believe it doesn’t exist. But one thing is certain: Lasseter was a larger-than-life character. Seen by some as an eccentric conman, he was ridiculed for his extravagant assertions, which he held until his tragic end. But Lasseter remains the embodiment of the Australian folk hero, who lived a life full of incredible adventures, tall tales and outrageous claims – including a possible faked death and his insistence that he designed the Sydney Harbour Bridge.

Starring: Bob Lasseter, Elsie Lasseter, Luke Walker, James Mason ..
Directed by: Luke Walker
Release date: 2012-08-11
Best Documentary Movies of 2012 : Flora & Mike -
49.

Flora & Mike - "The Big Gun" Photosession

3.9
9.4/10 IMDB

Every gun needs to be kept well-oiled.

Starring: Mike (Model), Mary Gram ..
Directed by: Petter Hegre
Release date: 2012-12-11
50.

TimeScapes

3.9
7.6/10 IMDB

Stunning slow-motion and timelapse cinematography of the landscapes, people and wildlife of the American South West.

Directed by: Tom Löwe
Release date: 2012-06-01

Also check Best documentary movies of 2011.

Check out our top containing the Best Documentary Movies of 2012 - PickTheMovie.com. This top was obtained with our unique algorithm ordered by our unique ranking system.

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