Fire of Love is a documentary about the lives and death of Katia and Maurice Krafft, married volcanologists. It is nominated for the Best Documentary Oscar. They were avid photographers and Fire of Love utilizes the footage that the Krafft’s or their friends shot in telling their story.

We first meet them when they are young and excited scientists with a shared passion for volcanoes. They revel in traveling the world to remote places to witness and document volcanoes. 

Gradually, like the pressure building in a volcano, the tone shifts. By the time the second half hits Mt St Helens, the Armero tragedy, and eventually the Mt Unzen eruption that killed them the tone has become more somber and serious. The globetrotting couple now feel like they are on a serious mission to educate the world about volcanoes and their dangers. Gone is the wild eyed derring do and more present is the need and desire to save lives.

The Krafft’s were avid documentarians. They photographed and filmed constantly. For them it was a way to capture information. Instead of trying to document everything in the moment, they instead chose to capture everything on film to be studied later. 

As befitting the National Geographic seal of approval, the captured footage is absolutely stunning.

Fire of Love is streaming on Hulu and Disney+