Introduction
December 21, 2012: the end date of the sophisticated Long Count Calendar created by the ancient Maya in Central America. Countless books and websites, magazine articles and newspaper headlines debate its meaning, with enthusiasts in two camps: those forecasting apocalypse — the end of time — and those who see a coming renewal, a rebirth of consciousness.
Adding fuel to the debate, some scientists see the increasing number of natural disasters in recent years as evidence of a catastrophic climax of events in 2012.
Will the world really change forever on this date, the end of a 5,125-year calendar last used over a thousand years ago?
Certainly Hollywood would like you to think so. Indeed, a not-so-small industry has arisen around the date, hawking everything from t-shirts to teleseminars and survival supplies.
How much of what we’re hearing is science and how much is superstition?
In 2007 we started making a documentary film to answer precisely these questions, avoiding the hype from the likes of the History Channel and the Hollywood studios.
Two years later we felt we had a truly compelling film, in which the leading researchers, writers and scientists in the field tell us exactly what this date means to them, why it’s important, and what we should expect.
Featured in the film are Graham Hancock, John Major Jenkins, Daniel Pinchbeck, Alberto Villoldo, Anthony Aveni, Robert Bauval, Jim Marrs, Walter Cruttenden, Lawrence E. Joseph, Alonso Mendez, Douglas Rushkoff, John Anthony West and Benito Vegas Duran.
In the course of researching the 2012 phenomenon, we realized that despite the seemingly endless supply of books relating to the topic, none truly captured the broad spectrum of opinion, debate, research and myth regarding the most compelling “end times” prediction of the 21st century.
We asked author Alexandra Bruce to build on the film and create what we believe is a truly insightful, detailed analysis of everything 2012. As she writes in the book,
“The 2012 meme has evolved beyond any debates about the relevance of the Maya Long Count calendar to the lives of contemporary human beings. 2012 is about us on planet Earth at this time.”
Please check out the movie and the book and let us know what you think. Did we interview the right people? Did we cover all the important issues? Did we strike the right balance? We’d love to hear how we could do it better next time, if there is a next time … 
