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Paint Drying is a 2016 British experimental protest film that was produced, directed and shot by Charlie Shackleton. He created the film in protest against film censorship in the United Kingdom and the sometimes-prohibitive cost to independent filmmakers that the classification requirement of the British Board of Film Classification (BBFC) imposes. The film consists of 607 minutes (10 hours and 7 minutes) of an unchanging view of white paint drying on a brick wall (similar wall pictured). Shackleton made the film to force the BBFC to watch it in its entirety to give the film an age rating classification. Shackleton initially shot 14 hours' worth of footage of paint drying in 4K resolution and opened a Kickstarter campaign to pay the BBFC's per-minute rate for a film as long as possible. It raised £5,936 from 686 backers, paying for a film lasting 10 hours and 7 minutes. After reviewing the film, the BBFC rated it "U" for "Universal", indicating "no material likely to offend or harm". (Full article...)
Did you know ...
- ... that the carbatinae (examples pictured), shoes worn in ancient Greece and Rome, were single pieces of leather tied onto the foot?
- ... that Lamia Al-Gailani Werr helped rebuild the Iraq Museum after it was looted in the 2003 American-led invasion of Iraq?
- ... that of the approximately 140 men stranded after a shipwreck on Wager Island in 1741, only a few dozens returned alive to England?
- ... that Roy McGrath, who was the chief of staff to Maryland governor Larry Hogan, was wanted by the Federal Bureau of Investigation and was killed during a shootout by agents?
- ... that the 2003 book The Reconstruction of Nations describes how "national reconciliation is possible after even the most terrible conflicts", including ethnic cleansing?
- ... that the bird subspecies Alcippe dubia genestieri is named after Annet Genestier, a French missionary-botanist in China who also built Zhongding Catholic Church in 1908?
- ... that the historical-romance novel My Tender Matador includes a fictionalized version of the attempted assassination of Augusto Pinochet?
- ... that in college, American football lineman Zack Johnson played directly next to Zack Johnson?
In the news
- Rock singer and actress Tina Turner (pictured) dies at the age of 83.
- In golf, Brooks Koepka wins the PGA Championship.
- American football Hall of Fame fullback Jim Brown dies at the age of 87.
- Amid a political crisis in Ecuador, President Guillermo Lasso dissolves the National Assembly and triggers an early general election.
- Flooding in the Emilia-Romagna region of Italy causes 17 deaths and widespread disruption, including the cancellation of its Formula One Grand Prix.
On this day
May 29: Feast day of Saint Paul VI (Catholicism); Memorial Day in the United States
- 1176 – Wars of the Guelphs and Ghibellines: Troops of the Lombard League defeated forces of the Holy Roman Empire near Legnano in present-day Italy.
- 1792 – The Great Sejm of the Polish–Lithuanian Commonwealth was disbanded following the Russian invasion of Poland.
- 1935 – A strike by copper miners in Northern Rhodesia ended after six workers were shot and killed by police.
- 1953 – The mountaineers Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay (both pictured) became the first people to reach the summit of Mount Everest.
- 1954 – Diane Leather became the first woman to run a mile in less than five minutes.
- Louise-Adéone Drölling (b. 1797)
- Erich Wolfgang Korngold (b. 1897)
- John Barrymore (d. 1942)
From today's featured list
Eighty-six episodes of The Sopranos, an American crime drama television series created by David Chase, aired over six seasons. The series follows Tony Soprano (James Gandolfini – pictured), an Italian-American mobster, as he struggles with various personal and professional obstacles. The Sopranos premiered on January 10, 1999, on HBO and concluded on June 10, 2007. Broadcast syndication followed in the United States and internationally. The first five seasons of the series each consisted of 13 episodes, while the final season consisted of twenty-one episodes aired in two parts. The series was released to widespread critical acclaim and received numerous accolades. It is often credited with ushering in the Second Golden Age of Television and is considered among the most influential series ever. (Full list...)
Today's featured picture
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Mount Everest is Earth's highest mountain above sea level, located in the Himalayas along the China–Nepal border. Its summit, at 8,848.86 m (29,031.7 ft) elevation, was first reached on 29 May 1953 by Tenzing Norgay and Edmund Hillary. This map, which uses data from the US National Snow and Ice Data Center, is a 3D rendering of Mount Everest and its surrounding terrain. Features portrayed on the map include the Khumbu Icefall, the South Base Camp (5,300 m), Nuptse (7,861 m) and Lhotse (8,516 m). Map credit: Tom Patterson
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