The video The Cure for Insomnia was released in 1987. It is notable for being the world’s longest video, clocking in at over 87 hours. Although few people have seen the entire video, it is a well-known staple of film classes and random trivia.
The Cure for Insomnia was first released at the School of the Art Institute in Chicago. It ran nonstop from the 31st of January to the 3rd of February. It has a running time of 5220 minutes, which is more than 40 times longer than the average feature film.
Some argue that The Cure for Insomnia is not a true film because it was shot entirely on video rather than film, and because its stated goal was to put people to sleep rather than entertain or educate, rather than entertain or educate. Despite this, The Cure for Insomnia is the world’s longest film, according to Guinness World Records.
The Cure for Insomnia does not have a plot. Instead, it shows Lee Groban, a poet and visual artist, reciting a 5,000-word poem titled “The Cure for Insomnia.” Since the 1970s, Lee Groban has been an active participant in the Chicago art scene, participating in a variety of artistic projects ranging from visual art to performance art to poetry.
Lee Groban is also listed in the Guinness Book of World Records for writing the world’s longest poem. The poem is considered a work in progress, with the film adaptation of The Cure for Insomnia serving as a single snapshot in time.
There is a lot of repetition and list-like cadences in The Cure for Insomnia. “I wonder why the cartoonists of our most popular newspaper comic strips never use Polish, Armenian, or Romany Gypsy names for their characters?” one segment asks. Why do you only use names from Western Europe? ‘Is that all you do all day? Soun is a pain…&srquo; It’s a drag, according to Lord Eordogh of Ordogkeresztur and Nagyeskulo’s beard. It’s a drag, according to Lord Cseffei of Totor and Noszalya’s beard. It’s a drag, according to Lord Bethlen of Kallo, Ecsed, Tokaj, Szendo, Murany, Szecseny, and Regecz. It’s a drag, according to the beards of Lord Tomori of Devecser, Besenyo, Gyanda, Borsfalva, Csobad, Felso-Homrogd, Also-Homrogd, Hegymeg, Berkes, Szakacsi, Kercs, Senye, Cseb, Nyilas, Abauj, and Borsod. It’s a drag, according to Lord Dolhai of Kereczke, Kusnicza, Zadnya, Kelecseny, Vizkoz, and Okormezo. It’s a drag, according to Lord Visoi of Felso-beard.” Viso’s
Imagine such beard litanies going on for minutes at a time, and you’ll get a rough idea of what the movie The Cure for Insomia is like. The cadence is, of course, deliberate, as the title of the piece indicates. A cure for insomnia, as well as such a long and repetitive piece, would put you to sleep.