Watching Paint Dry: The Story of a 10-Hour Protest Film That Trolled the Censors
To protest the UK's expensive film classification system, filmmaker Charlie Lyne crowdfunded a 10-hour movie of paint drying. He then forced the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) to watch the entire tedious spectacle to grant it a rating, highlighting censorship by cost.

Imagine a form of protest so mundane, so mind-numbingly dull, that it becomes a work of genius. In 2015, filmmaker Charlie Lyne did just that. He pointed a 4K camera at a white wall, hit record, and created Paint Drying, a film that is exactly what its title suggests: 10 hours and 7 minutes of paint drying. But this wasn't just an art project; it was a brilliantly calculated act of malicious compliance aimed squarely at the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC).
The Cost of Classification
In the United Kingdom, most films shown in cinemas must be certified by the BBFC. This isn't a free service. The BBFC charges filmmakers a submission fee plus a fee for every minute of the film's runtime. For independent filmmakers, these costs can be prohibitive, creating a financial barrier that determines whether or not their work can be seen by the public. Lyne argued that this system is a form of censorship, not through outright banning of content, but by pricing creators out of the market.
A Crowdfunded Rebellion
To expose this issue, Lyne turned to Kickstarter with a simple, audacious plan. He would film paint drying and submit the longest possible film his fundraising would allow to the BBFC for classification. The more money he raised, the longer the film would be, and the longer the BBFC's examiners would be forced to watch it. The campaign was a viral success, raising £5,936 from 688 backers who were eager to see the plan unfold. In an interview, Lyne explained the project's dual purpose:
The money raised will be used to pay for the BBFC to sit and watch the film in its entirety. It’s a protest against censorship, but it’s also a protest against the BBFC charging filmmakers to certify their work.
The final runtime was a staggering 607 minutes, all of which had to be paid for and, more importantly, watched.
The Longest Day at the Office
By law, the BBFC examiners must watch every second of any film submitted to them. On January 25, 2016, two examiners began their monumental task. Over two days, they sat through the entire 10-hour epic. The single, static shot offered no plot, no characters, and no action—only the slow, imperceptible transformation of a wet wall into a dry one. The event captured the public's imagination, becoming a symbol of creative protest against bureaucracy.
The Final Verdict
After their marathon viewing session, the BBFC issued its official rating for Paint Drying. The verdict? A 'U' for Universal, meaning it was suitable for all ages. The official insight provided by the board became a punchline in itself, a testament to the film's beautiful absurdity. It read simply:
Paint Drying is a film showing a wall of white paint drying. That is all.
While the protest didn't lead to an overhaul of the BBFC's fee structure, it achieved something arguably more powerful. Charlie Lyne's film masterfully used the system against itself, sparking a global conversation about censorship, art, and the hidden costs of creativity in a way no traditional documentary ever could. It stands as a hilarious and unforgettable monument to the power of a single, very, very boring idea.