Katia and Maurice Krafft were born just kilometres away from one another in the Alsace region of France, but only met in the mid-1960s when they were both at university. Forging a lifelong connection over a shared fascination with volcanoes, they would go on to be two of the most revered experts in their field right up until their death, consumed by the pyroclastic flow of Japan’s Mount Unzen during an eruption in 1991. In her new documentary, Fire of Love, Sara Dosa tries to put the couple’s own film and photography archive to work in telling the tale of their great passions – for one another and for enormous, fire-spewing mountains.
This dual purpose is not actually an especially easy one to navigate, despite the fact that the Kraffts’ relationship and their careers were entangled to such an extent. The endeavour is hindered by the fact that the characters of Katia and Maurice, such as they exist across their television appearances and archival footage, are rather slight sketches, albeit iconic in their red Jacques Cousteau-inspired headgear. One might assume a level of intimate documentary authenticity in clips of Katia when apparently alone with Maurice, but Dosa reminds us that they were making films for external consumption, cutting together a montage of Katia performing various takes of the same reaction shots.
One method Dosa does deploy is a voiceover narration by Miranda July which proffers both crucial exposition and poetic interpretation while the story unfolds, mostly chronologically, on screen. July does an excellent job in her delivery, but the attempts to conjure meaning and convey the depths of Katia and Maurice’s personal connection through the narration begins, on occasion, to feel forced and repetitive despite the viewers’ awareness of their deep affinity. A recurring motif creating an analogue between the human body and volcanic activity is quite effective in expressing the nature of the latter but struggles a bit more in getting beneath the Kraffts’ skin.
That said, the film generally feels much more in its groove when presenting the story of the Kraffts’ distinguished career and their zeal for everything Vulcan. While the overarching structure might feel quite typical of an archival documentary, Dosa’s control of the myriad materials at her disposal and her management of the film’s pacing is deft and, at times, very inventive. It might be difficult to look past the staggering volcanic imagery captured by Maurice – more on that to follow – but it is combined with television clips and a liberal, and thoroughly enjoyable, use of paper cut-out animation which allows for a visually interesting way to convey scientific specifics. Whether it is the simple but effective delineation between ‘red’ (lava-strewn) or ‘grey’ (smoky, explosive) volcanoes, or the terrifying documentation of their deadly power, even if a viewer has minimal interest in the subject going in, it is difficult to imagine them not being captivated and fascinated by this pacey and engaging watch.
As implied previously, a great deal of that will also have to do with the frankly incredible footage that the film contains. Katia worked in still images and Maurice with those that moved, and their amassed collection of material across their 25-years of traipsing around the world from Greece and Italy to South-East Asia and central Africa. Getting closer to the danger zones of these terrifying natural spectacles than anyone had before, their footage – whether of rivers of lava flowing down mountainsides, billowing smoke emitting from the maw of a volcano, or the devastating impact of significant eruptions – is unparalleled. Those that saw Werner Herzog’s own dalliance with the volcanic in 2016’s Into the Inferno will be aware that the Kraffts’ footage of the subject is still some of the most impressive available, even today. As such, it’s perhaps not surprising that the story of Katia and Maurice’s romance can’t quite compare to that of their pyroclastic obsession, but Fire of Love is a continually absorbing documentary, nonetheless.
Director: Sara Dosa
Writers: Sara Dosa, Erin Casper, Jocelyne Chaput
Narration: Miranda July
Producers: Sara Dosa, Shane Boris, Ira Fichman
Editor: Erin Casper, Jocelyne Chaput
Music: Nicolas Godin
Animation: Lucy Munger
Production companies: Sandbox Films (USA), Intuitive Pictures (Canada), Cottage M (USA)
Venue: CPH:DOX (Dox: Award)
In French, English
93 minutes
