User Reviews

This film, which was years in the making and spans four continents in its depth and breadth, works on multiple levels: it is all at once a study in anthropology, spirituality, geopolitics, economics, history and art. The fact that this blue dye has inspired so many people of independent nations for so many centuries is a testament to the durability of the human spirit and the universal love for blue which colors the sky above and the sea below. Mary Lance, the distinguished and award winning director of films on the WPA arts project, Diego Rivera and other great artists -- achieves her finest work to date in BLUE ALCHEMY: Stories of Indigo. This is a must-see for every person who has ever found value in the meaning of art -- who has ever worn a pair of jeans -- who has ever wondered where the color blue comes from. Ten stars.

This is an informative documentary and has some very interesting video footage, but the last 20-30 minutes are repetitive and don't add to the story being told. The film begins by showing the complex process that is involved in creating blue dye from green leaves. The process differs in different parts of the world, but the resulting dye is indigo. This first part of the film is quite fascinating. Unfortunately, once the director has finished showing the segments about indigo production in India, Pakistan, Africa, Mexico, etc., she then continues in the same vein with two additional segments - one on India and one on Mexico - segments that don't add anything new to the information already imparted by the first segments on India and Mexico. These last segments seem to have been added as an afterthought or perhaps as filler. The film would far be more effective without the last segments.