Textile artist Allan Brown spends seven years making a dress by hand solely from locally foraged stinging nettles. This is his medicine. It’s how he survives the passing of his wife, leaving him and their four children bereft, and how he finds a beautiful way to honour her.

​Stunningly filmed by award-winning documentary maker Dylan Howitt, The Nettle Dress follows Allan's journey through seasons and years, foraging, spinning, weaving, cutting and sewing the cloth, before finally sharing a healing vision of the dress back in the woods where the nettles were picked, worn by one of his daughters.

A labour of love in the truest sense, The Nettle Dress is a modern-day fairytale and hymn to the healing power of nature and slow craft. It’s one story representing a huge groundswell of people rediscovering the joys of making. Actor Mark Rylance called the film “Exquisite and inspiring, beautiful and helpful for anyone suffering loss or grief”.

Director
Dylan Howitt

Date of release
2023

Running time
68 min

Rating
12A

Country of origin
United Kingdom

Language
English