Winter Movie 2023: Indigo - A World of Blue

It's that dark, rainy and often dreary time of year, where inside projects and activities beckon. It is the perfect time of year to settle into a favorite chair or couch, wrap up in a fuzzy blanket, and watch a movie (with popcorn and a friend if possible). Historically we've used this time of year to watch some winter movies where plants played the starring role. We've seen some fun, goofy, informative, entertaining, serious and interesting movies over the years. Last year we read books about and by homesteaders instead, although plants still showed up in various ways.

This winter we are watching the documentary Indigo: A World of Blue by Maiwa Productions for our winter movie. I'm planning to experiment with indigo dyeing later this year, so am learning all I can about the plant and the process. What could be better than tagging along with the experts at Maiwa as they visit dye studios all over India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Turkey and more. Many of these destinations are known world-wide for their beautiful textiles, dyes and prints. The documentary is so packed with information and ideas that I had to watch it multiple times!

At the Pitchi Reddy farm in India, we're introduced to a major supplier of indigo that is produced using traditional methods. The indigo leaves are fermented and the resulting dye is dried into cakes using sustainable practices. The spent indigo leaves and soaking baths contain nitrogen, and are recycled in the rice fields. At the Miani Forest Research Center in Pakistan we visit another operation that also uses natural fermentation and traditional methods. Both use Indigofera tinctoria to produce the dye. In Nagaland India, indigo is produced from Strobilanthes flaccidifolius leaves, which contain an indigo precursor. The leaves are used to dye the fabric directly.

The documentary team also visits several cooperatives where resist dyeing produces beautiful ajrak cloths, story telling cloths and batiks through a variety of methods. A thread that runs through the documentary is that many of the traditional ways have died out with the introduction of synthetic dyes. Cooperatives and collectives are finding ways to help communities bring back the traditional methods for dyeing with natural indigo dye.

I was especially interested to learn about the basic techniques for fermenting and dyeing with indigo. It is so extraordinary to see the odd yellow green shade produced by fermented leaves, and then to see the fabric turn from the same yellow green to indigo blue when exposed to the air. The narrators describe it as a kind of miracle, and it seems that way to see it happen on film. Of course chemistry performs the magic, but there is also the art, skill and experience of the dyers. Dyeing with indigo has been done for at least 5,000 years, and probably more. You have to wonder how the ancients first discovered or envisioned the processes and methods used to dye with indigo. I was also fascinated to see all the ways that resist dyeing and techniques like printing and over dyeing are used to embellish the fabric. I'm looking forward to experimenting with indigo dye this year!