A love letter to intrepid scientists and their shared passion, “Fire of Love” burns bright. When Katia and Maurice Krafft died in a volcano eruption, the French couple left behind “hundreds of hours of footage, thousands of photos, and a million questions,” we’re told. Sara Dosa’s documentary uses the pioneering volcanologists’ rich archival materials to spectacular effect in a jaw-dropping tribute to the Kraffts and volcanos, the source of their delight and destruction.
In Katia’s words, “Once you’ve seen an eruption, you can’t live without it because it’s so grandiose, so strong,” creating a feeling of “being nothing at all in these untamed elements.” She and Maurice devoted their lives to traveling the world, chasing volcanos and the sense of awe eruptions inspired, funding their epic journeys by documenting their pursuits and making public appearances.
When Dosa first saw the Kraftts’ footage, she was stunned by the “dangerously close” range that the photos and videos were taken from. She told us, “The imagery indicated that they were willing to risk their lives to experience and understand the power of volcanoes. And, the more I learned about them, the more I became fascinated by their unique relationship, their humor, their philosophy, and their passion for the planet.”
Their curiosity was stronger than their fear. Their words communicate this; their footage proves it. Rather than fleeing, creating distance between themselves and an eruption, the pair often remained fixed until the last possible moment to evacuate, at times even moving towards the danger. “We couldn’t imagine living any other way,” Katia says. At one point the trailblazer admits, “This is the pleasure of approaching the beast — not knowing if it will catch you.”
While Katia and Maurice are eventually caught, the doc makes it clear that they’d never regret a single second spent with their beloved beasts, and as tragic as their end was, it couldn’t have been more fitting. Each died doing their favorite thing in the world, alongside their favorite person.
“Fire of Love” is now in theaters.
