A Love of Volcanoes and Each Other
One of the things I love the most about the Sundance Film Festival is its selection of exciting documentaries. Famed docs like Werner Herzog’s “Grizzly Man” and Les Blank’s “In Heaven There Is No Beer?” premiered at the fest in their respective times, and recently they have delivered some of the most fascinating docs of the past couple of years, like “Summer of Soul,” “Flee,” “Boys State,” and “Crip Camp.” The people in charge of selecting the documentaries really deserve a round of applause (and a raise). The festival has only started 24-hours ago since writing this review, but they have another gem in their slate in Sara Dosa’s “Fire of Love,” a doc about famed volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft.
Katia and Maurice Krafft, a chemist and a geologist, both love two things: each other and volcanoes. Both (love and volcanoes) are burning fires, in each’s terms, and ache harder and harder as time passes. For over two decades, the French volcanologists have put themselves to the test as the thrills, dangers, and impending doom (as Werner Herzog would say) crawl through the atmosphere in their elemental love triangle. I didn’t know anything about the Krafft’s. I have only seen images of their impressive footage only a couple of feet away from the lava, and also Herzog mentioned them in his doc “Into the Inferno.” They were pioneers, filming, photographing, and recording volcanoes so that we can understand that deadly marvel called an eruption. There are Hurricane chasers, but I didn’t know people actually chased the aftermath of eruptions.
Exploring the Vastness of Planet Earth’s Awesomeness
They traveled the world (Japan, Colombia, the Philippines, and more) and captured/documented some of the most stunning pictures imaginable, then shared them in lecture tours, TV appearances, and on other mediums. It’s impressive and jaw-dropping what they were able to do. “Fire of Love” has Sara Dosa showing us a couple of things about the Krafft’s: their love and support for each other, beautiful volcano footage, the power of science, and a small dose of existentialism.
Dosa described the documentary as one that showcases the expansiveness/limits of time, the meaning of human existence, and the vastness of our planet’s most awesome force—and all of that is transcribed perfectly from footage to film for a couple of reasons. Saying that they lost their lives during a 1991 volcanic explosion on Mount Unzen in the first couple of minutes causes a sense of unease and, at the same time, intrigue. As you see the footage and the film continues to flow, you get attached to the Krafft’s and their romantic, chaotic energy.
A Short, Intense Life…or a Long, Monotonous One?
They are likable people, and in the most dangerous of moments, you wish they’d stay safe; you want to protect this couple, even if you know something terrible will happen to them, unfortunately. Another reason is Miranda July’s narration. She has an ASMR-esque soothing voice that fits the bill for projects like these. You could listen to her narrating everything, even your own life. July guides us slowly through the beginning of Katia and Maurice’s relationship and partnership right until the very end.
Yet, in between those segments, there is an oozing melancholic feeling. Maurice says, “I prefer an intense, short life to a long, monotonous one,” which adds to their volcano chasing journey. Later on, that is intertwined with funny/charismatic moments, like Maurice cooking eggs in molten lava rocks then Katia saying, “he has made better.”
Just seeing them being themselves brings a smile to your face; and at the same time, there is a sharp-edged pang. I mentioned Werner Herzog earlier because “Fire of Love” makes an outstanding double bill with 2016’s “Into the Inferno.” They have some parallels (other than volcanoes) in their documentary approach. But, of course, you don’t have him narrating about the impending damnation, death, and destruction with his deep voice; instead, you have July’s calm and comforting voice going through a more euphoric slant in comparison to Herzog’s. He would be proud of Sara Dosa’s work in this extraordinary and absorbing picture. It’s just fantastic that a documentary about volcanoes could be this engaging, heartbreaking, and arresting.
This review was written from day 2 of Sundance Film Festival’s 2022 programming.
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