Fest Track On Sirk TV Film Review: FIRE OF LOVE [Sundance Film Festival 2022 - Virtual]
The aspect of following a dream to the bitter end is a path that has challenged explorers to a fault from the beginning. Everyone has a right to live their lives but it does come down to meaning as wll as a choice. In "Fire Of Love" [US Documentary Competition], filmmaker Sara Dosa uses the archive footage of volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft to craft an interesting ode to scientists, connection and choices in the face of natural danger. The essence of dread is there from the beginning since no modern footage exists of the two so going in quietly one knows that there is a twit involved (which won't be given away here). That said the story of the Kraffts is mostly a joyful one. They got up close to volcanoes and some of the red lava footage they captured on film with Katia in the foreground is absolutely amazing. Granted as all journeys, they start off slow, find their footing, get a little bit of recognition and then, like all of us at one time or another, have slight questions about the trajectory of path which is normal. Their voyages take them all around the world. But like storm chasers, the key is to set up early warning elements to protect lives despite perhaps the adrenalin rush they get living the life.
One expedition in Colombia in 1985 is unique to which Katie speaks in voice over (and on-camera) from the time in terms of the irony of what happenned there. The Kraffts, especially Maurice, had a sense of humor but also sometimes a daredevil mentality. Maurice was a geologist and Katia a chemist per se so the way they looked at their subject was similar yet different. A small excursion on an acid lake is a good indication of this. They felt they were standing still when they were home but had to turn around their material. This reviewer has many friends who are like this (myself included) but it is a process by which the wealth of knowledge built to a point but also needs to be delivered. The Kraffts also push themselves further. They did see setbacks but also colleagues lost yet their enthusiasm and sense of play (cooking eggs in a pan on lava is a highlight). Whereas the narration of Miranda July is a little soft in terms of the texture, the balance of the music score tends to balance it out (when no narration except the subjects' voices would have been more than sufficient). The meaning of the Krafftss' journey is left to the ether but the key part of the story is the reflection of their love, whatever form it took. B-
By Tim Wassberg
