Katia and Maurice Krafft were not afraid of the unknown. This is evident from the very first shot of Sara Dosa’s breathtaking documentary, “Fire of Love,” as the couple, clad in matching red knit hats, painstakingly clears a path through thick snow and ash toward their life’s destination: a volcano.
The pair of French scientists who dedicated their lives to researching and filming volcanoes was killed in a 1991 eruption on Mount Unzen in Japan. Katia and Maurice left behind an impressive yet mysterious legacy, but this didn’t stop Dosa from telling their story.
In “Fire of Love,” Dosa explores the couple’s fascination with volcanoes, well as their undying love for each other. The film premiered Friday night at the Missouri Theatre as part of Columbia’s annual True/False Film Fest.
“Fire of Love,” which was acquired by National Geographic Documentary Films, also premiered at the Sundance Film Festival in January. The film is set to release in theaters later this year and will be available to stream on Disney+.
Following the screening, audiences enjoyed a question-and-answer discussion with Dosa. A number of the film’s editors also answered questions from viewers.
Going into “Fire of Love,” viewers might be unsure of what they’re in for, but the overall impact is enthralling.
The film intersperses sentimental home video-style footage of the Kraffts with striking shots of volcanic explosions and fiery landscapes. “Fire of Love” aptly balances Katia and Maurice’s complementary personalities and relationship with the intensity and tragedy of volcanoes themselves. The addition of immersive music and spellbinding animations add a layer of nuance to the story as well.
“Both Katia and I got into volcanology because we were disappointed with humanity,” Maurice said in the film.
To Katia and Maurice, volcanoes were never fiery monsters to be feared, but rather intriguing subjects of observation, close friends or even first loves. The couple was mesmerized by all things volcano-related — the differences between “friendly” red volcanoes and deadly gray ones, the shape and texture of magma, the remnants of life the craters leave behind and everything in between.
In one of the film’s most lighthearted yet matter-of-fact moments, Maurice says he believes each volcano has its own personality. While the couple’s dedication to such a dangerous profession might seem reckless or confusing, it is clear that Katia and Maurice’s unique passion was fulfilling for them. The pair spent their lives doing precisely what they loved: trying to understand striking, inexplicable events of nature.
At the premiere, Dosa said her filmmaking team had to comb through hundreds of hours of the Kraffts’ footage to piece together a narrative. All of Katia and Maurice’s videos were silent, so the team had to create soundscapes and work with preexisting recordings to portray an accurate representation of the Kraffts’ lives.
“This is a very interpretive film, but the interpretation was very much set by [Maurice and Katia],” Dosa said during the question-and-answer section.
It’s apparent that Dosa and her editing team took the Kraffts’ passion for volcanoes as seriously as their passion for each other. Some of the most beautiful moments of “Fire of Love” include animations of two figures holding hands in front of a volcano, mesmerizing visualizations of tectonic plates moving underneath cities and tender shots of Katia and Maurice sharing meaningful glances.
Watching “Fire of Love” feels like witnessing a volcanic explosion in real time, as audiences get a poetic, intimate glimpse into Katia and Maurice’s lives. In addition, the film’s engrossing cinematography, intriguing subject matter and heartfelt love story make it a must-see experience.
Edited by Camila Fowler | cfowler@themaneater.com
