Just finished watching “Fire of Love”, the NatGeo documentary about the lives of volcanologists Katia and Maurice Krafft on Disney+.
The Kraffts were kinda heroes of mine as a kid, alongside Cousteau and Haroun Tazieff, and this film triggered a fair bit of nostalgia! Here we follow their journey around the globe, their love of the mineral, of volcanoes, of each other, amidst some of the most breathtaking footage you can imagine of what Mother Earth is capable of… and each step bringing them closer to that fateful day in 1991.
I remember when the radio announced the news, and I always feel emotional watching that ominous pyroclastic flow… It is interesting that from a certain point of view the lessons of St. Helens were not heeded at Unzen, despite the fact that both the Kraffts and fellow US volcanologist Harry Glicken had to learn it first hand. Yet, in both cases they set up their observation station in a place they thought was at a safe distance, only for the blast of the eruption to end up much more powerful, and going in a different direction, than anticipated. This is not to blame them for being there, mind, but it goes to show how treacherous and deadly these explosive volcanoes can be…
A poignant and fantastic film, and very recommended!