Fire of Love (2022 film)

Fire of Love is a 2022 independent documentary film about the lives and careers of volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft. Directed, written, and produced by Sara Dosa, the film had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2022, where it won the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award. It was released on July 6, 2022, by National Geographic Documentary Films and Neon. It received acclaim from critics, and was nominated for Best Documentary Feature at the 95th Academy Awards.

The film tells the story of French volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft, a daring couple bound by their love for each other and their shared obsession with volcanoes. Through rare archival footage and a poetic French New Wave-inspired narrative, the film chronicles their two-decade journey of capturing the Earth’s most explosive phenomena, standing perilously close to fiery eruptions in their quest for scientific discovery and breathtaking imagery. As their passion pushes the boundaries of safety, the documentary explores the philosophical and emotional depths of their commitment to understanding the planet’s volatile beauty, culminating in their tragic final expedition to Mount Unzen in 1991, where their lives are claimed by the force they so deeply revered.

In March 2021, it was announced Sara Dosa would direct a documentary film revolving around Katia and Maurice Krafft. In January 2022, it was announced Miranda July would serve as the narrator.

The film had its world premiere at the 2022 Sundance Film Festival on January 20, 2022 where it won the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award in the U.S. Documentary category. Shortly after, National Geographic Documentary Films acquired distribution rights to the film, winning a bidding war against Netflix, Amazon Studios, Sony Pictures Classics, IFC Films, Universal Pictures and Paramount Pictures. It also screened at South by Southwest on March 11, 2022. In April 2022, it was announced Neon would co-distribute the film. The film was released on SVOD to Disney+ on November 11, 2022.

In the United States and Canada, the film earned $22,416 from three theaters in its opening weekend.

On Rotten Tomatoes, it has an approval rating of 98% based on 173 reviews, with an average rating of 8.2/10. The website's critics consensus reads, "Whether as a story of one couple's quixotic quest or simply a stunning collection of nature footage, Fire of Love burns bright." On Metacritic, the film holds a weighted average score of 82 out of 100, based on 38 critics, indicating "universal acclaim".

In March 2023, Searchlight Pictures announced a feature film adaptation with Hunting Lane Films, Submarine Deluxe and Sandbox Films set to produce.

• The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft, 2022 film directed by Werner Herzog

• Fire of Love at IMDb

• Official website

• Official trailer