SXSW 2022: FIRE OF LOVE: An Experience Like No Other

There’s probably only one thing more beautiful than chasing Mother Nature at Her most vigorous and thunderous, and that is to pursue such peril with the person you love most. That is the story of Katia and Maurice Krafft, a pair of volcanologists who have contributed so much to the study of volcanic eruptions, going so close to the edge of the volcano to capture the footage.

Whether it’s seeing footage of the eruptions and lava flows to hearing the couple talk about how they first met and how they balance one another, Fire of Love is a fun, informative, and bittersweet story of passion.

So Much Works Because of Sensitivity

Part of Fire of Love’s effectiveness comes from how writer/producer/director Sara Dosa lays the cards on the table – within the first few minutes, the voice of Miranda July informs us through a specific piece of footage that we are watching the last documented video of the Kraffts, because they would later die while exploring the eruption of Mt. Unzen in Japan.

This handling of time and tense occurs throughout the film, thanks to a script that is sensitively written and narrated with careful word choices like “Maurice will” or “Katia would think” or “they will go on to […].” This strategy pays off tremendously, giving the film an extra coat of melancholy, poetry, and bittersweetness. Surprisingly, it also makes structuring the film an easier task.

In addition to showing some of the most jaw-dropping footage of lava flows you’ll ever see, Dosa also needs to take time for us to learn about the Krafft’s backstory. How did they meet? What did they study beforehand? What was going on in the country, in the world, at the time? In the hands of a less skillful writer and director, the film could’ve dragged in its moments of exposition. Thanks to Dosa’s sensibilities, July’s voice, and stunning editing work by Erin Casper and Jocelyn Chaput, Fire of Love manages to be about many things all at once – the fiery love two people have for one another, a scary but extraordinary portrait of our planet’s power, but most of all, the empowering idea that curiosity will always conquer fear.

Beautiful Attention to Craft

It must be said again that the level of technical craftsmanship in Fire of Love allows it to stand out amongst other nature documentaries. Of course, so much of what shapes a documentary is archival footage. But what makes a documentary great is how it shifts priorities from making an emotionally profound statement to educating/informing us about something we’re unfamiliar with. As some may hope, the film takes the time to explain how volcanoes work and what kinds of volcanoes exist. The presentation of these moments is exquisite, resorting to a stop-motion paper-cut-out animation style that brings back fond memories of the pop-up book sequence in Paddington 2, the quirky and eccentric sensibilities of Wes Anderson, to even the comedic animated bits in Monty Python films. These creative choices are usually not expected out of a documentary, which is why when one comes along that weaves the aesthetic into their presentation, it’s such a refreshing and exhilarating experience.

Praise also needs to be given to moments where Dosa chooses to show us only photos of an incident instead of the footage. Sometimes we only get to hear the audio. These are all fantastic creative choices that strengthen the flow of the film. It never loses our interest, nor does it ever betray its own style and tone as it goes.

Fire of Love: A Film with a Loud Beating Heart

The early Sundance praise is real. Fire of Love oozes passion and love from start to finish, offering an informative, entertaining, and tender portrait of our home planet, our “insignificance” to its power, and at the heart of it all, a couple who understood that and chased that more than anyone else.

It’s an experience like no other, one that has to be seen on the big screen, where the pulse-pounding sound and musical score can wash over you. Also, it must be stressed again: the molten lava footage is breathtaking.

What did you think of Fire of Love? Let us know in the comments below!

Fire of Love premiered at the Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2022.