Melting boots on steaming lava flows and craters dancing amid volcanic eruptions are just two of the amazing things you’ll witness in the PG-rated “Fire of Love,” which opens at the Lincoln Theater this Friday. This new documentary, from filmmaker Sara Dosa, chronicles the life and death of French scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft. You don’t want to miss the movie that Variety calls “The Most Stunning, Terrifying, and Beautiful Pictures of Nature Ever Recorded,” so mark your calendars to catch it while it’s on the big screen.
“Fire of Love” tells the story of two French lovers, the mischievous and charming geochemist Katia and the showboating geologist Maurice. The Kraffts died in a volcanic explosion doing what brought them together: unraveling the mysteries of our planet, while simultaneously capturing the most explosive volcanic images ever recorded. Along the way, they changed our understanding of the natural world and saved tens of thousands of lives. Unseen hours of pristine 16mm film and thousands of photographs reveal the birth of modern volcanology through an unlikely lens – the love of its two pioneers.
This award-winning documentary and NY Time’s Critics Pick tells an explosive story that is both scientific and poetic. The famous French volcanologist couple left behind hundreds of hours of images and thousands of photos, capturing the multiple and unpredictable personalities of the volcanoes they studied. The closer they got to the boiling earth, the more their curiosity became devouring and became stronger than their fear. In their red woolen caps, silver insulating suits, and metal helmets that stretched over their shoulders to protect themselves from molten debris, the Kraffts risked their lives, studying deadly volcanoes and hoping to discover models that would allow people living on the path of destruction to escape.
“Fire of Love” preserves their incredible work and their unforgettable human presence. In AO Scott’s New York Times review, he says, “The mere existence of these photos is mind-boggling when you consider how close the people are to the cameras versus the lava and smoke. Come experience it on the big screen.
“Fire of Love” opens at the historic Lincoln Theater in Damariscotta on Friday, September 16 and continues through Thursday, September 22, presented in partnership with Colby and Gale Inc.
