Longest Movies Ever Made

Summary

• Movies have endless potential with varying lengths and storylines that captivate audiences internationally.
• Some of the longest films ever made, like “Shoah” and “La Flor,” push the boundaries of storytelling with unique narratives.
• The film “Exergue” showcases the challenges behind creating a groundbreaking art exhibition, spanning 14 hours of content.

Movies are one of the most fabulous creations in human history. More than just a way to provide entertainment, film allows the telling of stories that can inspire and recount history that should never be lost. Movies may be the most versatile form of media in existence, able to cross entire galaxies, travel back in time, or head into the future and tell a story with a myriad of emotions attached.

Movies can move thousands and entrance viewers into following characters or storylines that go down a long path to an unknown end. There is no limit to the amount of content a film can provide, and there is no cap on how long a film can be. Some directors take storytelling to heart and create entire journeys that are impossible to get through in one viewing. Here are some of the longest movies ever made, ranked by run time.

8

Tie Xi Qu: West Of The Tracks

The Rise And Fall Of The UIndtiral Socialism In Tiexi

• Release: 2002
• Run Time: Nine Hours And Eleven Minutes

Tie Xi Qu is a Chinese documentary released in the early 2000s that examines the societal and economic changes occurring in Shenyang, China. The film focuses specifically on the decline and dissolving industrial industry of the Tiexi district, which is known for its prosperous history under the socialist party.

The movie is directed by Wang Bing, one of the foremost documentary filmmakers in the world, known for The Chinese Labor Camps and The Ditch films. Tie Xi Qu has an astounding run time of nine hours and eleven minutes divided into three parts: Rust, Remants, and Rails.

7

Shoah

First Person Accounts Of The Horror Of The Holocaust

• Release: 1985
• Run Time: Nine Hours And Twenty-Six Minutes

Shoah is the Hebrew word for Holocaust; the film of the same name dives deep into the history and occurrences of one of the most diabolical events in human history. Directed by Claude Lanzmann, a French journalist, filmmaker, and editor who shot the film over an eleven-year time frame.

The film is composed primarily of eye witness statements from survivors and perpetrators with little to no historical footage recounting the events. Shoah was raised for its dedication to the truth and experiences of the Jewish people and received international acclaim. Shoah has a run time of nine hours and twenty-six minutes and was released in 1985.

6

Evolution Of A Filipino Family

How A Family Deals With The Trials And Tribulations Of A Changing World

• Release: 2004
• Run Time: Ten Hours And Forty-Three Minutes

Lav Diaz is an independent filmmaker born in Columbio and is a widely known creator famous for practicing the slow cinema movement, a style of filmmaking that strips movies of their over-the-top directing and lets visuals and time tell a story. This is prevalent in one of his most famous films, Evolution of a Filipino Family, which highlights the life of a small farming clan and their struggle to maintain their way of life after finally being freed from authoritarian rule.

The film is dubbed a masterpiece for its narrative style and attention to detail. With a runtime of ten hours and twenty-four minutes, it is one of the longest films in history and one of the most watched among them.

5

How Yukong Moved The Mountains

A Detailed View Of The Cultural Revolution

• Release: 1976
• Run Time:​​​​​​​ Twelve Hours And Forty-Three Minutes

How Yukong Moved the Mountains is a remarkable documentary by the legendary duo of life partners Jovis and Marceline Ivens. The two highly decorated filmmakers have an extensive list of celebrated projects; however, How Yukong Moved the Mountains is among their longest.

The film is a twelve-part series that focuses on the events during the Cultural Revolution and the effects it had on the area of China. The film featured a Chinese crew and dove deep into the society’s evolution during the movement. The film comes in at a whopping twelve hours and forty-three minutes, which took two years to film.

4

Out 1

A Film Allowing Viewers To Walk A Mile In Someone Else’s Shoes

• Release: 1971
• Run Time:​​​​​​​ Twelve Hours And Fifty-Three Minutes

Out 1 is a film by French director Jacques Pivette, known for highly eccentric films with unique narratives and creative run times. The movie Out 1 follows multiple characters and plots that wind and twist around one another like a ball of yarn. Each character and their story lead to another and drags the viewer(s) into an emotional journey of dreams had and dreams lost.

Pivette wrote and directed the film, which was divided into eight parts with a run time of twelve hours and fifty-five minutes. The reception to the film is positive, with critics raving about the human factor of the series being incredibly personal.

3

La Flor

A Multifaceted Work Of Artistry

• Release: 2018
• Run Time: Thirteen Hours And Fifty-Three Minutes

La Flor is an interesting film, to say the least, coming from director Mariano Llinas, who also wrote the project. Divided into eight parts in a semi-episodic fashion, each segment tells parts of stories with varying perspectives throughout the story.

The film explores several plots, including a mummy’s curse and a revolting group of actresses on set. Its thirteen-hour and twenty-three-minute run time makes it daunting to watch. However, critics and viewers give it positive reviews, and it has a nearly one hundred percent score on Rotten Tomatoes.

2

Exergue – On Documenta 14

A Spotlight On The Documenta Art Exhibition In Greece

• Release: 2024
• Run Time: Fourteen Hours And Eighteen Minutes

Exergue is the second longest non-experimental film ever made and is one of the most recent releases, debuting last year. Directed by Dimitris Athiridis, Exergue is a Greek documentary focusing on the Documenta 14 art exhibition and the director of the event, Adam Szymczyk.

The movie follows the struggles that Adam and his team underwent to produce a groundbreaking show and the controversies that followed some of his decisions. It has an astounding run time of fourteen hours and eighteen minutes and was filmed between two locations during the preparation of the entire event.

1

Resan (The Journey)

A Socio-political Documentary Focusing On Nuclear Weapons

• Release: 1987
• Run Time: Fourteen Hours And Thirty-Three Minutes

Resan is a Swedish documentary that puts a microscope on government and political issues revolving around spending, military budgets, and the dangers and developments of nuclear weapons. The film is spearheaded by Peter Walkins, who takes on an international mission to touch down with everyday citizens, ask their opinions, and discover just how much they really know about these types of issues. Walkins filmed the documentary himself, traveling across more than seven continents, which took two years to gather the film’s fourteen hours and thirty-three minutes worth of content.