--- title: "Fire of Love" year: 2022 kind: "film" canonical: "https://film.one/film/fire-of-love" fi1m_score: 76 critics_score: 79 critics_reviews: 21 published: "2026-09-17T05:50:04.634999+00:00" updated: "2026-09-17T05:50:14.681301+00:00" region: "US" licence: "© Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL." --- # Fire of Love (2022) Directed by Sara Dosa · 1h 34m · MPA PG · Documentary **Fi1m score: 76** · Critics 79 from 21 reviews *In a sentence:* The ending is announced in the first minute; the next ninety are spent explaining why two scientists kept walking towards it > Sara Dosa’s documentary is built from the Kraffts’ own footage of erupting volcanoes, and that footage is astonishing. The narration laid over it is less sure of itself, and the film is best when it stops talking and lets the lava do the work. ## Synopsis Katia and Maurice Krafft (seen in archive footage, and voiced in their own words by Alka Balbir and Guillaume Tremblay) are French volcanologists. She is small and photographs; he is large and films. Together they spend two decades travelling to wherever the ground is opening: walking in silver suits to the lip of lava lakes, cooking eggs on cooling rock, standing in the ash of volcanoes nobody else will approach. Narrator Miranda July, speaking over their footage, goes back to the beginning to ask what the two of them were looking for, why they kept getting closer, and what they wanted the rest of us to see. ## Review Katia and Maurice Krafft were French volcanologists who spent twenty-five years carrying cameras up to erupting mountains, and Sara Dosa’s documentary is made almost entirely of what they brought back. The film tells us in its opening minutes that they died together on Mount Unzen in Japan in 1991, so there is no suspense about where this ends. The question is how two trained scientists came to be standing where they stood, and why they kept going back. Dosa’s answer is that it was a love story, twice over: for each other and for the mountains. It is a good film with one persistent weakness, and the weakness has a voice. The footage is the reason to see it. Katia, in a silver suit with a hood, stands with her back to a fountain of lava that fills the frame behind her, close enough that the flying rock lands in shot. Maurice, in a red woollen hat, grins at the camera on the edge of a crater and later paddles a rubber dinghy across a lake of acid because he wants to know what will happen. A crust of cooling lava splits and the orange underneath moves like something breathing. We were frightened for her, plainly and repeatedly, and the fright came from the scale: she is a small figure with nothing between her and the heat, and the only other person present is her husband, holding the camera and not telling her to come back. The Kraffts shot most of it themselves, Maurice on film and Katia on stills, and the five credited cinematographers, Roland Haas among them, are there to fill the gaps. Dosa divides the material as the Kraffts did, into red volcanoes, which pour and are comparatively safe, and grey ones, which explode and kill. The red footage is the beautiful half. The grey footage, of Mount St Helens after 1980 and of a Colombian town buried in mud in 1985, is where the film finds its seriousness, and where the Kraffts’ purpose changed from looking to warning. Erin Casper and Jocelyne Chaput, who edited the film and share the writing credit with Dosa and Shane Boris, cut it like a French picture from the decade the couple met. There are irises, split screens, jump cuts and stretches of hand-drawn animation to cover the years nobody filmed. Nicolas Godin’s score, warm analogue synthesizers under the lava, suits the archive well, and the film’s playfulness in its first half is a real pleasure. Two people in tinfoil clothing cooking eggs on a rock are funny, and the editors know it. Then there is Miranda July. Her narration is read in a hush, and it asks a great many questions: what is time, what is love, what did they see when they looked. The footage has usually answered already. When July wonders aloud whether the Kraffts felt small before the mountain, we are watching Katia standing before the mountain and can see for ourselves. Alka Balbir and Guillaume Tremblay, reading the couple’s own writing, are far better company, because the Kraffts wrote like scientists who happened to be in love and not like poets who had read about volcanoes. Every time the film cuts from their words to July’s, it gets a little more precious, and we noticed it every time. The other thing the film will not do is press. Maurice says he would rather a short intense life than a long dull one, and the film takes him at his word. It does not ask what their families made of it, whether the two of them argued about the risks, or whether the constant filming was itself a kind of appetite. Dosa has chosen to honour the couple’s account of themselves, and the account is a lovely one, but 94 minutes is long enough to have asked one hard question and there is not one here. Most critics have been warmer than we are, and we understand why; the pictures are extraordinary and the couple are easy to love. We think the reviews have given the narration credit that belongs to the archive. Set against the run of recent documentaries assembled from home footage, though, this is one of the more disciplined, and the last reel, which we will not describe, is handled with a tact that the rest of the film sometimes lacks. See it on the largest screen you have. The lava needs the size, and the whispering, at that scale, is easier to ignore. *Fi1m score 76, published 17 September 2026.* ### Reviews we read (21) - **The AV Club**, Brent Simon (A-): The critic calls it a gorgeous and affecting documentary that captures the beauty and danger of the natural world through the volcanologists' marriage and self-shot footage. Singles out the masterful editing of the archival material and the score. [Read](https://www.avclub.com/fire-love-review-miranda-july-katia-maurice-krafft-dosa-1849155482) - **The New York Times**, A.O. Scott (Critic's Pick): Sara Dosa's documentary captures the Kraffts as co-authors of their story through their own spectacular footage of volcanoes. It is a haunting romance shadowed by tragedy that preserves their idiosyncratic presence. [Read](https://www.nytimes.com/2022/07/06/movies/fire-of-love-review.html) - **Empire**, Ella Kemp (85/100, inferred): The film is a poignant and illuminating tribute to the Kraffts, honouring their determined lives and loves with curiosity and care. It lends tenderness and poetry to the archive footage while highlighting their ambition and intelligence. [Read](https://www.empireonline.com/movies/reviews/fire-of-love/) - **Financial Times**, Danny Leigh (85/100, inferred): Dosa brings wit and style to a madly compelling profile of the Kraffts that springs surprises with its narration and visual approach. Sadness is not the dominant flavour; instead the film smiles through their adventures from the start. [Read](https://www.ft.com/content/c0a5ee3c-45bc-4187-b0ad-deb1819ea372) - **RogerEbert.com**, Matt Zoller Seitz (85/100, inferred): The film is a visually poetic documentary about the Kraffts' shared obsession with volcanoes and each other. It stands out for its total-cinema approach that creates an aesthetic vibe around their archive footage and lives. [Read](https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/fire-of-love-movie-review-2022) - **Variety**, Owen Gleiberman (85/100, inferred): Sara Dosa's documentary showcases the most spectacular volcano footage ever shot while telling the moving story of the Kraffts. It is an amazing, romantic portrait of obsession touched with lyricism. [Read](https://variety.com/2022/film/reviews/fire-of-love-review-1235157721/) - **Evening Standard**, Tamara Davison (80/100, inferred): The documentary is a tragic, cinematic, poetic smorgasbord that reminds viewers of humanity’s delicate relationship with nature through the Kraffts’ story. It singles out the couple’s childlike playfulness and delight in the power of volcanoes for praise. [Read](https://www.standard.co.uk/culture/film/fire-of-love-documentary-review-volcanoes-sara-dosa-maurice-katia-krafft-b1015413.html) - **Los Angeles Times**, Justin Chang (80/100, inferred): The visually entrancing film chronicles the Kraffts' magnificent obsession with volcanoes and each other. It uses their archive to forge a clear narrative that moves from romantic comedy to somber reflection. [Read](https://www.latimes.com/entertainment-arts/movies/story/2022-07-05/fire-of-love-review-volcano-documentary) - **Radio Times**, Jamie Healy (4/5): The critic praises the extraordinary archive footage and Sara Dosa's celebratory portrait of the couple's explosive romance and scientific dedication. Miranda July's poetic narration and quirky animated sequences are noted as lovely cinematic touches. [Read](https://www.radiotimes.com/movie-guide/b-m5ehvq/fire-of-love/) - **The Hollywood Reporter**, Daniel Fienberg (80/100, inferred): The critic praises the gorgeously photographed and dreamily constructed portrait of the volcanologists' doomed love story and their footage. Singles out the astonishing archival footage and the poetic narration. [Read](https://www.hollywoodreporter.com/movies/movie-reviews/fire-of-love-review-1235078227/) - **Time Out**, Dave Calhoun (4/5): The critic describes the documentary as spectacular and thrilling, an elemental tribute to obsession and human powerlessness before nature. Miranda July's dreamy voiceover and the couple's daring footage are singled out for creating a sense of wonder. [Read](https://www.timeout.com/movies/fire-of-love-2022) - **Slant Magazine**, Pat Brown (75/100, inferred): The critic notes that the film confidently oscillates between the playfully on the nose and the existentially profound in its treatment of nature as both romantic symbol and existential force. Singles out the archival footage and Miranda July's narration for creating a dreamy yet probing portrait. [Read](https://www.slantmagazine.com/film/fire-of-love-review/) - **The Guardian**, Peter Bradshaw (75/100, inferred): The film embraces the mythology of the Kraffts as passionate lovers of each other and volcanoes who died together in the 1991 Mount Unzen disaster. It celebrates their countercultural spirit and daring work but suggests it underplays elements of a danger or death cult compared to Herzog's approach. [Read](https://www.theguardian.com/film/2022/jul/27/fire-of-love-review-romantic-portrait-of-passionate-doomed-volcanologists) - **Screen Daily** (70/100, inferred): The critic finds Dosa's approach modest and sensitive in its tribute to the volcanologists, awed by both the volcanoes' beauty and the couple's risk-taking. July's narration is noted as sometimes lending a precious quality, but the archival materials and human-interest angle are strengths. [Read](https://www.screendaily.com/reviews/fire-of-love-sundance-review/5166660.article) - **The Telegraph** (70/100, inferred): Dosa crafts an elegantly awestruck tribute to the Kraffts using their spectacular footage, giving the eccentric couple an Anderson-esque treatment. The film renders their lifelong quest with ravishing coffee-table allure but does not deeply probe their relationship or demise. [Read](https://www.telegraph.co.uk/films/0/fire-love-review-wes-anderson-meets-walls-lava-tribute-volcano/) - **The Times**, Kevin Maher (★★★★☆): This expansive documentary about the Kraffts is furiously compelling as a dreamy tone poem and scientific inquiry drawn from their archive footage. Sensitive narration by Miranda July asks huge questions about love and relationships in the face of death, though the couple's demise confers a sickening weight. [Read](https://www.thetimes.com/culture/film/article/fire-of-love-review-a-compelling-tribute-to-volcanologists-maurice-and-katia-krafft-zqm958bcn) - **Little White Lies**, David Jenkins (4/3/3): The critic calls the film a slick and moving portrait of the monomaniacal couple but finds the romantic thesis overly ornate and hollow, with the voiceover narration feeling affected. The incredible landscape footage is highlighted as a strength. [Read](https://lwlies.com/reviews/fire-of-love) - **Sight and Sound** (50/100, inferred): The critic finds the archive footage of volcanoes mesmerising but faults the film's storytelling for failing to fully develop the Kraffts as characters or realise the material's visual potential. Miranda July's narration is praised as magnificent. [Read](https://www.bfi.org.uk/sight-and-sound/reviews/fire-love-pairs-spectacular-archive-footage-with-unsatisfying-narrative) - **HeyUGuys**, Ty Cooper (5/5): The critic praises the film's stunning volcanic footage and how it lets viewers appreciate nature's power like the Kraffts did; highlights the mesmerizing visuals over heavy messaging. [Read](https://www.heyuguys.com/fire-of-love-review/) - **Eye for Film**, Amber Wilkinson (4.5/5): Praises the stunning footage bringing nature to life and the quirky, informative approach to the couple's work and relationship. [Read](https://www.eyeforfilm.co.uk/review/fire-of-love-2022-film-review-by-amber-wilkinson) - **/Film**, Ben Pearson (9/10): Calls it a mesmerizing account using incredible archival footage; singles out the hypnotic lava visuals and the human story of the couple. [Read](https://www.slashfilm.com/740932/fire-of-love-review-a-mesmerizing-portrait-of-the-worlds-best-volcanologist-power-couple-sundance-2022/) ## Details - **Director:** Sara Dosa - **Director:** Sara Dosa - **Writer:** Erin Casper, Sara Dosa, Shane Boris, Jocelyne Chaput - **Cinematography:** Alain Gerente, Jón Björgvinsson, Olivier Doat, Pablo Alvarez Mesa, Roland Haas - **Editor:** Erin Casper, Jocelyne Chaput - **Music:** Nicolas Godin - **Producer:** Sara Dosa, Shane Boris, Ina Fichman - **Cast:** Alka Balbir as Katia Conrad Krafft (voice); Guillaume Tremblay as Maurice Krafft (voice); Miranda July as Self - Narrator (voice); Katia Krafft as Self (archive footage); Maurice Krafft as Self (archive footage); Harry Glicken as Self (archive footage); Roland Haas as Self (archive footage); Jacques Durieux as Self (archive footage) - **Runtime:** 1h 34m - **Certificate (MPA):** PG - **Release (the US):** 6 July 2022 - **Genres:** Documentary - **Box office:** $2 million - **Trailer:** https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-_7XADmKVL0 ## Where to watch in the US - Hulu: streaming, hd - Disney+: streaming, hd - Amazon Prime Video: rent $3.99, hd - Amazon Prime Video: buy $14.99, hd *Checked 2026-09-17.* Also available in: AR, AT, AU, BE, BG, BR, CA, CH, CL, CO, CZ, DE, DK, EC, EE, ES, FI, FR, GB, GR, HK, HR, HU, IE, IS, IT, JP, KR, LT, MX, NL, NO, NZ, PA, PE, PL, PT, RO, RS, SE, SG, SI, TR, US. Add `?region=XX` to this URL for another country. ## Awards - Sundance Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award 2022: Sundance Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award (won) ## If you liked this - *Into the Inferno* (2016): Herzog on volcanoes, using some of the Kraffts’ footage and asking the harder questions. - *Grizzly Man* (2005), Fi1m 85: Another self-filmed life at the edge of something that eventually kills its subject. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/grizzly-man.md) - *Man on Wire* (2008), Fi1m 90: Obsession, archive and a couple’s testimony, told with the ending known from the start. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/man-on-wire.md) - *Nostalgia for the Light* (2010): A Chilean desert, astronomers and the dead; slow, exact and quietly overwhelming. - *Honeyland* (2019), Fi1m 82: One woman, some bees and a mountainside; nature filmed with patience rather than awe. — [Fi1m page](https://film.one/film/honeyland.md) --- © Fi1m Ltd. Written by AI under a human editor; checked against sources before publication. Quote with attribution and a link to the canonical URL. Canonical: https://film.one/film/fire-of-love