Longest Movies Ever: The 10 Craziest Behind-the-Scenes Stories

Remember when Titanic seemed incredibly long? At over three hours, it felt like an epic. Then Leonardo DiCaprio starred in another lengthy film, Martin Scorsese’s Killers of the Flower Moon. But those are just the tip of the iceberg. Some filmmakers have created movies that stretch the limits of time, running for days!

These films, produced for various reasons, require an immense commitment to watch. Get ready to learn the crazy stories behind ten of the longest movies ever made. Grab a huge bowl of popcorn; you’re going to need it!

1. Logistics (51,420 Minutes)

Directed by Erika Magnusson and Daniel Andersson, 2012’s Logistics follows the life cycle of a pedometer. The filmmakers traced its journey in reverse chronological order, from the store back to the factory.

Logistics shows the complete process of manufacturing and shipping a simple, low-tech product. The film includes the pedometer’s actual shipment from Asia, taking over 51,420 minutes (about 35 days and 17 hours). It’s a real-time look at modern retail and global business. ^[1]

2. Modern Times Forever (14,400 Minutes)

Modern Times Forever, released in 2011, was created by Finnish filmmakers Bjornstjerne Reuter Christiansen, Jakob Fenger, and Rasmus Nielsen. The film showcases the decay of the Stora Enso building in Helsinki, known as the “Sugar Cube.”

The filmmakers believed that 14,400 minutes (ten days) was needed to convey their message about decay and the impermanence of public spaces. The premiere was projected onto the Stora Enso building itself, a meta experience for viewers. ^[2]

3. Cinématon (12,420 Minutes)

Gérard Courant began compiling three-minute vignettes of people in the late 1970s. Over three decades, he combined these slices of life into Cinématon.

The rule was simple: subjects could do whatever they wanted during their 3 minutes and 25 seconds on camera. This became a video collage of thousands of people from the late ’70s through the mid-2000s.

Released in 2009, Cinématon runs for 12,420 minutes (8 days and 15 hours). Despite its length, the personal subject matter has moved many viewers. ^[3]

4. Beijing (9,000 Minutes)

In 2003, Ai Weiwei mounted a camera on a car and drove down every street in Beijing. Every boulevard, highway, side street, and back alley was filmed.

The result was a 9,000-minute (150-hour) movie showcasing the city from a driver’s perspective. Beijing was a groundbreaking film at the time, offering a comprehensive look at the city. ^[4]

5. Untitled #125 (7,200 Minutes)

Josh Azzarella’s Untitled #125, also titled Hickory, runs for 7,200 minutes (five days). Unlike other experimental films, this one expands on a specific scene from The Wizard of Oz.

The film explores the meeting between Dorothy and Glinda the Good Witch. Azzarella extends this six-and-a-half-minute scene into a five-day marathon, pondering what viewers didn’t see happen to Dorothy. The film accounts for her whereabouts during those five days. ^[5]

6. Amria Ekta Cinema Banabo (1,260 Minutes)

Md Ashraful Alam’s Amria Ekta Cinema Banabo, or The Innocence, runs for 1,260 minutes (21 hours). This is a traditional narrative movie, just much longer than usual.

The film follows Kabir, who seeks repentance after accidentally killing an ant. A vagabond named Razzaq tells Kabir that everyone is acting in films directed by God. Kabir must star in Razzaq’s film to repent. The movie ends abruptly after a fight, leaving viewers hanging. ^[6]

7. Resan (873 Minutes)

Resan, also known as Le Voyage or The Journey, was released in 1987. Directed by Peter Watkins, it runs for 873 minutes (14 hours and 33 minutes). It was the longest non-experimental narrative film until Amria Ekta Cinema Banabo.

Resan sheds light on military spending and nuclear weapons. The documentary features interviews with civilians from various countries, discussing their thoughts on these critical issues. ^[7]

8. Evolution of a Filipino Family (643 Minutes)

Lav Diaz’s Evolution of a Filipino Family, or Ebolusyon ng Isang Pamilyang Pilipino, follows a poor Filipino farm family over the years. Diaz spent nine years filming, capturing the family members aging on camera.

The film runs for 643 minutes (10 hours and 43 minutes). It’s a family saga with both mundane and life-altering events. It tells the incredible story of a family’s struggle to survive. ^[8]

9. Shoah (566 Minutes)

Claude Lanzmann’s Shoah is a powerful documentary about the Holocaust. Lanzmann interviewed survivors, perpetrators, and observers across Europe.

He visited Holocaust sites in Germany and extermination camps in Poland, documenting the aftermath of this horrific event. The project took over 11 years to complete, resulting in a 566-minute (9 hours and 26 minutes) film. ^[9]

10. Heremias (519 Minutes)

Lav Diaz appears again with Heremias, running for 519 minutes (8 hours and 39 minutes). It tells the story of Heremias, whose oxen cart is stolen.

Heremias travels from his village to the city to report the theft, facing continuous exploitation by police. His journey becomes a saga of disappointment. The film explores religious symbolism and social corruption in Philippine society and is also known as Book One: Legend of the Lizard Princess.

These movies challenge the boundaries of filmmaking, demanding extreme commitment from their viewers. ^[10]