Welcome to the world of natural indigo. Follow the production of the dye from the fields of Sindh, Pakistan, through Laos, Indonesia, and Turkey to the famous Pitchi Reddy farm in India. Renowned natural dye experts Noorjehan Bilgrami, Jenny Balfour-Paul, and Harald Böhmer outline the importance of indigo from its manufacture to the pivotal role it has played in the history of textiles and trade.
This documentary also presents rare footage of the dye process in several unique village contexts: the mountains of Nagaland where direct dyeing is still practiced, the island of Sumba where elaborate ikats are dyed and woven, and in Yogyakarta where exquisite batik is made with indigo blue.
Directed by Charllotte Kwon.
Written by Charllotte Kwon and Tim McLaughlin.
Edited by Tim McLaughlin.
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⌚️Timestamps:
00:00 - Intro
01:26 - The allure of natural indigo
02:16 - Jenny Balfour Paul
03:30 - Indigo Harvest
06:11 - History of trade and control in India
07:50 - Setting up for the extraction process
08:17 - Extraction process explained
11:13 - Transforming leuco indigo to indigotin
13:26 - Completing the extraction process
15:41 - The final indigo rich liquid
17:01 - Removing impurities, making indigo cakes
18:30 - Drying the indigo cakes
19:08 - Ajrakh Cloth
23:52 - Miani Forest Research Centre, Pakistan
28:04 - Nagaland, India
32:27 - Vientiane District, Laos
37:57 - Andhra Pradesh, India
42:17 - Suleymankoy, Turkey
47:50 - East Sumba, Indonesia
52:50 - Yogjakarta, Indonesia
55:16 - Dhamadka, India
59:01 - Credits