Nature is powerful, mysterious, and at times,prohibitively dangerousto research. InFire of Love, filmmaker Sara Dosa gives viewers a window into the exciting field of volcanology through the eyes of famous volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft. The film is composed of never before seen footage that captures extremely rare and up close volcanic activity – the likes of which we have never seen in a documentary before.
Experiences like those researchers Katia and Maurice had in the field are rare due to their unique positions as volcanologists who studied eruptions up close and on film. Volcanic eruptions are so dangerous that very few researchers had taken on the challenge of investigating them when the Kraffts were. Throughout the documentary’s runtime,Fire of Loveshows usthe loving relationship Katie and Maurice shared before their dangerous research in the field caught up with them.
Before the film is released, let’s take a deeper look at this incredible documentary.
Fire of Love: The Story
Katia and Maurice worked as volcanologists starting in the 1970s, a very early period in the research of volcanic phenomena. Due to this, the Kraffts' findings became instrumental in the early detection of volcanic activity, which was their life’s work. The Kraffts began their research by documenting eruptions as they occurred. Following the eruption of Mount St. Helens in 1980 and the death of their friend and colleague David A. Johnston due to the predictions of the blast’s direction being off, the Kraffts made a risky career change.
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Investigating how to predict a volcano’s eruption was a natural next step for the Kraffts, and the footage they captured as part of their research is absolutely stunning. Many shots shown inFire of Loveare one-of-a-kind – observations so dangerous to accomplish that very few volcanologists have even attempted them. In the 1980s, the Kraffts were some of the only volcanologists studying the most volatile of volcanoes on the planet. This included volcanoes like Mount St. Helens, Mount Pinatubo, and, most notably, Mount Unzen. All of these volcanoes and more are shown throughoutFire of Lovein beautiful and terrifying detail, as the sheer force of nature depicted is what inevitably leads to theKrafft’s untimely deathsin 1991.
While the life and work of Katia and Maurice Krafft were previously discussed inWarner Herzog’sInto the Inferno, the summary forFire of Lovegives a clear idea of how this film is different from its predecessors:
“Katia and Maurice Krafft loved two things — each other and volcanoes. For two decades, the daring French volcanologist couple roamed the planet, chasing eruptions and documenting their discoveries. Ultimately, they lost their lives in a 1991 volcanic explosion, leaving a legacy that forever enriched our knowledge of the natural world. Director Sara Dosa and the filmmaking team fashion a lyrical celebration of the intrepid scientists’ spirit of adventure, drawing from the Kraffts’ spectacular archive. FIRE OF LOVE tells a story of primordial creation and destruction, following two bold explorers as they venture into the unknown, all for the sake of love.”
Fire of Love: The Subjects & Crew
WhileFire of Loveis anature documentaryabout volcanoes, it mainly features the Krafft couple and their work, shown through archival footage they filmed or from news interviews from the time. Katia and Maurice Krafft were two of the most daring and influential volcanologists of the 20th century, whose research made life-changing impacts for people living in the blast zone of the world’s most dangerous volcanoes.
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Filmmaker Sara Dosa takes us on a journey to a time and place that most viewers will never experience otherwise, making the purchase ofFire of Loveby National Geographic quite appropriate. As the film is primarily made up of footage taken by the Kraffts themselves, Sara Dosa’s expertise comes in through voice-over narration, performed by Miranda July, and the careful weaving of the footage to tell a story of love, passion, and destruction.
Release Date
The film was purchased by National Geographic in 2022 afterFire of Lovepremiered at Sundance Film Festival. While in the festival circuit, the film was only available to watch for those attendees. However, thanks to a partnership with NEON,Fire of Lovewas released briefly to theaters on July 6th, 2022. Now that its theatrical and festival tours are done, we expectFire of Loveto release on Disney+ on November 11th, 2022.
A Love Story Doomed From the Start
Sara Dosa’s decision to focusFire of Lovenot only on the rare and beautiful volcano footage the Kraffts captured but also on their loving relationship givesFire of Lovea unique and heart-wrenching story. Compared to other nature documentaries,Fire of Loveis incredibly unique. It not only tells the story of the Kraffts' research, how it changed the field of volcanology forever and saved thousands of lives – but it also shares intimate footage of the couple as they were in life. Beyond their research and the harsh environments they studied, Katia and Maurice Krafft were kind, intelligent, and brilliant people whose work changed lives.
We can’t wait forFire of Loveto make its way toDisney+ on November 11thso that we can see this stunning film!
