Fire of Love

It was Johnny Cash who once sang “love is a burning thing, and it makes a fiery ring.” And for volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft that love of fire burned bright…so bright that their very connection took their lives. From National Geographic Documentary Films and Director Sara Dosa, Fire of Love takes us through the love and working relationship of the Kraffts and how their love of studying volcanoes not only brought them closer together in life and death…but also saved the lives of many.

Even before their relationship flourished, Katia and Maurice both found a thirst for knowledge in the study of volcanoes. While Katia’s love started during a trip to visit Mount Etna, Maurice was fascinated during a trip with his family to Stromboli. It wasn’t until their meeting in 1966 at the University of Strasbourg that these lava-crossed lovers found their way to one another…and someone who understood their passion for all things volcanic. They used their love of volcanoes to study and document their findings, hoping to understand how these rock formations work and put in place a prevention system. While at first Katia and Maurice study what are called “red” volcanoes, after the death of fellow friend and volcanologist David Johnston they turn their focus to the killer “gray” volcano for prediction and loss prevention. The change in volcanic study is eye-opening as Katia begins to question life’s purpose and the destruction left from the killer volcanoes causes more heartbreak than ever. Unfortunately, the story of the Kraffts is a tragic love, one that ends with the couple being killed by pyroclastic flow on June 3, 1991 at Mount Unzen in Japan.

What’s most intriguing about Katia and Maurice in Fire of Love is not just their love of volcanoes, but also how that plays into their relationship and the story that they create together. Katia is fearless and willing to stand at the edge of a volcano while Maurice documents the movement. They work diligently together to bring knowledge of how volcanoes work to the masses and try to prevent as many people as they can from perishing…even if it means they perish themselves. Sosa’s ability as director to piece together the right amount of footage to tell the story of the Kraffts is a so-called “craft” in itself. Their personality and passion shine through in spades, even when narrator Miranda July describes how the couple were next to one another when they died.

But while the Kraffts loved to study one of nature’s most destructive phenomena, I also admired the way that the narrator was able to bring Katia and Maurice’s humanity to light. The volcanic destruction broke the Krafft’s hearts as it destroyed towns and killed many. The very thing that brought them together was breaking others apart and it was within that humanity that Katia and Maurice were driven to work harder on finding the deadliest volcanoes and creating prevention films to educate others about their destruction. They dedicated their lives to not only one another, but to the world itself.

As volcanoes destroy to create, Katia and Maurice’s tale is far from reaching destruction. Their research and studies have done just what they set out to do: save lives. Shortly after their death a volcano erupted on June 15, 1991 in the Phillipines at Mount Pinatubo. But thanks to the Krafft’s prevention films and the information they shared with the world, fifty-eight thousand people were evacuated from the area. And isn’t that the most important takeaway? Even in death Katia and Maurice have accomplished exactly what they set out to do: educate others.

Fire of Love is set to be released via Neon and Disney+ this summer.