Top 28 Documentary Movies Editor's Pick Released in 2012

Two South Africans set out to discover what happened to their unlikely musical hero, the mysterious 1970s rock n roller, Rodriguez. Info on Searching for Sugar Man / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary centered on a young man in Spain who claims to a grieving Texas family that he is their 16-year-old son who has been missing for 3 years. Get info on The Imposter / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary which challenges former Indonesian death-squad leaders to reenact their mass-killings in whichever cinematic genres they wish, including classic Hollywood crime scenarios and lavish musical numbers. Get info on The Act of Killing / IMDB / YouTube

Filmed over nearly five years in twenty-five countries on five continents, and shot on seventy-millimetre film, Samsara transports us to the varied worlds of sacred grounds, disaster zones, industrial complexes, and natural wonders. Find out about Samsara / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary on 85-year-old sushi master Jiro Ono, his renowned Tokyo restaurant, and his relationship with his son and eventual heir, Yoshikazu. Explore Jiro Dreams of Sushi / IMDB / YouTube

An exploration of various interpretations of Stanley Kubrick's horror film, The Shining (1980). Check out Room 237 / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary that follows the journeys of indie game developers as they create games and release those works, and themselves, to the world. Get info on Indie Game: The Movie / IMDB / YouTube

Conversations with death row inmate Michael Perry and those affected by his crime serve as an examination of why people - and the state - kill. Look into Into the Abyss / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary on the life, music, and legacy of Bob Marley. Details on Marley / IMDB / YouTube

A look at the life, career and music of singer Katy Perry as we follow her on the California Dreams World Tour. Find out about Katy Perry: Part of Me / IMDB / YouTube

The documentary investigates the history, process and workflow of both digital and photochemical film creation. Read about Side by Side / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary that examines the question, If Barack Obama wins a second term, where will we be in 2016? Info on 2016: Obama's America / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary on peer-to-peer bullying in schools across America. More about Bully / IMDB / YouTube

A further followup of the case of the West Memphis Three and the decades long fight to exonerate them that finally gained traction with new DNA evidence. Details on Paradise Lost 3: Purgatory / IMDB / YouTube

An examination of a failure of justice in the case against the West Memphis Three. See more about West of Memphis / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary on the workings and beliefs of the self-described hacktivist collective, Anonymous. See more about We Are Legion: The Story of the Hacktivists / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary depicting the life and work of the trappers of Bakhtia, a village in the heart of the Siberian Taiga, where daily life has changed little in over a century. Find out about Happy People: A Year in the Taiga / IMDB / YouTube

Follow National Geographic photographer James Balog across the Arctic as he deploys time-lapse cameras designed for one purpose: to capture a multi-year record of the world's changing glaciers. More about Chasing Ice / IMDB / YouTube

An exploration of the lives of several former adult performers who have retired from the porn industry. Learn about After Porn Ends / IMDB / YouTube

An investigative documentary about the epidemic of rape of soldiers within the US military. Read about The Invisible War / IMDB / YouTube

Chronicles three underprivileged students from inner-city Memphis and their volunteer coach who tries to help them beat the odds on and off the field. Check out Undefeated / IMDB / YouTube

The Muppet Elmo is one of the most beloved characters among children across the globe. Meet the unlikely man behind the puppet - the heart and soul of Elmo - Kevin Clash. Info on Being Elmo: A Puppeteer's Journey / IMDB / YouTube

Inmates at a high-security prison in Rome prepare for a public performance of Shakespeare's Julius Caesar. Learn about Caesar Must Die / IMDB / YouTube

Experience the show that quickly became a national phenomenon, and get an up close and personal look at Kevin Hart back in Philly, where he began his journey to become one of the funniest comedians of all time. You will laugh 'til it hurts. Info on Kevin Hart: Laugh at My Pain / IMDB / YouTube

A documentary that follows the Serbian performance artist as she prepares for a retrospective of her work at The Museum of Modern Art in New York. Read about Marina Abramovic: The Artist Is Present / IMDB / YouTube

Meet adorable young chimp Oscar and his fellow mayhem-creating buddies, who see the world as their playground. Full of curiosity, joy and a love for mimicking others, these are some of the most extraordinary personalities in the jungle. Find out about Chimpanzee / IMDB / YouTube

Travis Pastrana and his tight-knit, highly-skilled, adrenaline-addicted friends bring their impossible, ridiculous, insane and hysterical adventures to the big screen for the first time. Get info on Nitro Circus: The Movie / IMDB / YouTube

It's been months since Jafar Panahi, stuck in jail, has been awaiting a verdict by the appeals court. By depicting a day in his life, Panahi and Mojtaba Mirtahmasb try to portray the deprivations looming in contemporary Iranian cinema. See more about This Is Not a Film / IMDB / YouTube