2013 Films
Washington D.C. Premiere
BLUE ALCHEMY: STORIES OF INDIGO
(c) Mary Lance
MARCH
20
12 NOON
Directed by: Mary Lance
Presented by: The Textile Museum
Venue: George Washington University
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BLUE ALCHEMY: STORIES OF INDIGO (USA, 2011, 79 min.)
Presented with The Textile Museum
Washington, D.C. Premiere A blue dye derived from the plant Indigofera tinctoria, indigo has captured the human imagination for millennia and has been in use worldwide since antiquity. For centuries it was the world’s only blue textile dye. This film follows individuals who are reviving indigo in projects intended to improve life in their communities, preserve cultural integrity, protect the environment and bring beauty into the world. Filmed in India, Japan, Bangladesh, Mexico, El Salvador, Nigeria and the U.S., Blue Alchemy features commentary by Textile Museum Research Associate Mattiebelle Gittinger. The film’s title refers to the magical process by which indigo-dyed textiles, which look dull green in a vat, emerge into the air and are transformed to a vivid blue. Directed and produced by Mary Lance.
Introduced by Lee Talbot, Curator of Eastern Hemisphere Collections, The Textile Museum. Discussion with Mattiebelle Gittinger, Research Associate for Southeast Asian Textiles, The Textile Museum, follows screening.
Ticket/Reservation Info:
FREE. No reservations required.