Katia, Maurice and Their Lava Story

Time stopped for Katia and Maurice Krafft when the Unzen volcano erupted and blasted ashes and rocks that claimed the lives of many in 1991. Rumbling earth, surging ashes, crumbling mountains, and panicking people - this is the result of the raw power of nature. Though the couple had spent a lifetime deciphering volcanoes, Mother Nature showed them no mercy.

The Oscar-nominated documentary Fire of Love is widely acclaimed ever since its premiere. The director Sarah Dosa has created a love story with lava using the abundant footage and works left by the “volcano couple”. The film is thrilling with highly expressive close-up shots of volcanoes, yet what makes it even more impressive is that the images were captured at the real eruption sites by the Kraffts through years of observing and documenting. For over thirty years, the Kraffts had risked their lives to get close enough to the volcanic sites, all for scientific observations. Their legacy has tremendously enriched the human understanding of volcanoes, and also evokes a strong sense of long-lost awe of nature.

When it comes to documentaries on the relationship between humans and nature, the first thought that comes to mind is the Oscar-winning documentary Free Solo. Yet the underlying theme of Free Solo is more about overcoming fear and regaining one’s inner peace by challenging nature, which in essence, is a psychological exploration on the self. Fire of Love differs from it because of the couple’s interaction with volcanoes; of how the relationships between nature, human and society intertwines with romantic heroism; as well as the persistent pursuit for science.

Katia and Maurice’s love story was quite romantic. They both grew up in the Alsace region of France with their hometowns only a little over 20 kilometers apart, but they only met each other in college. Coincidentally, they both developed a rare interest in volcanoes at a young age and wanted to explore the secrets behind the magnificent eruptions. The shared interest finally brought the two together after a blind date in a café and soon they became a perfect match in life and work. Apart from their shared interest, the two had other similarities. They grew up in a post-war world where they both felt insecure and thus wary of humanity, and the natural wonders became their refuge. In the 1950s and 1960s, following the deepening understanding of paleomagnetism, breakthroughs were made in seismology and space exploration, giving rise to the research on plate tectonics. This was great news for volcano lovers because research on the subject was in dire need of devoted scientists. Young Katia and Maurice dived right into the emerging discipline of volcanology.

Though they had a perfect meeting of minds, Katia and Maurice had different personalities. Katia was meticulous and rational, capturing pictures of magnificent eruptions. Maurice was like a passionate and humorous adventurer, preferring the unknown and the danger. Hence there’s a scene in the film which features Maurice rowing a boat on a pool of sulfuric acid in an attempt to get samples while Katia paced anxiously on the shore. He even had this wild idea of rowing onto lava to study it at the source. Their differences complement each other in marriage and work. They always accompanied each other, whether it’s watching magma activity all night, flying around the globe in search of waking volcanoes, or waiting for the eruptions up close.

Maurice once said, “If rocks were edible, I’d never leave the volcano.” Not all volcanologists did research the way the Kraffts did. They were the “weirdos” as their peers called them, and the Kraffts gladly accepted the term with pride. They got as close as possible to the danger to watch the spectacle of these volcanic eruptions starting from the depths of the earth. They stood right next to gleaming rivers of lava and massive showers of hot rocks and recorded it all, leaving a filmed and photographic record of volcanic activity that remains unparalleled to this day. They were obsessed with volcanoes and treated them as if they had intelligence. Maurice once joked that Katia was cheating on him with volcanoes for Katia had witnessed 20 more eruptions than him. A love triangle was thus true to them in their own way; their romance with volcanoes was legendary.

Despite the depictions of the thrilling beauty of volcanoes, human-nature relationship is still the main theme in Fire of Love. Maurice left behind a thought-provoking statement, “The reason Katia and I study volcanology is because we’re disappointed in humanity, and we feel that volcanoes are greater than humans. I think this is what we need.” This statement reminds us of the plot in the movie The Big Blue directed by Luc Besson, where the hero leaves everything behind and walks towards the sea. Perhaps those who are deeply fascinated by nature see it as a refuge from human society. Because their difficult childhoods, Katia and Maurice deeply resented war and power struggles. They cared more about societal issues and the future of humanity than any other scientists, and joined the anti-Vietnam War movement together in 1967. Their photos even appeared on the front page of the Humanitarian Daily. But ever since the field of volcanology emerged, they committed themselves wholeheartedly into research, immersing themselves fully in a world of nature.

As volcanoes became popular in the media, the Kraffts also became media darlings. To appeal to the masses, they had written books, made videos, and appeared on TV just to let more people beware of the dangers of volcanoes and the solutions to avoid said dangers. There’s always a certain lightness to their shots despite filming the menacing volcanoes – they wore helmets and protective clothing and walked near the crater, resembling scenes from the Apollo moon landing, and the playful Maurice even fried eggs right beside the crater. Their onscreen image as “volcanic couple” was much loved.

Although they gained some traction with the crowd, the danger of the volcano was still not ingrained in the public consciousness. The Kraffts called for authorities to establish an early warning system and make disaster prevention plans, yet these efforts were not taken seriously by the decision-makers. In November 1985, the eruption of the Nevado del Ruiz volcano in Colombia caused more than 20,000 deaths due to lahars and pyroclastic flows. Prior to this, volcanologists had predicted with a 100% certainty that the volcano would erupt in the near future, but the government did not issue a warning due to cost concerns.

At thattime, Katia personally went to the disaster-stricken areas, which left a deep impression on her. In face of the merciless nature and the insignificant power of humans, the Kraffts never once gave up. The more volcanoes they visited, the more they knew about the unpredictability of active volcanoes. No one could exactly forecast when a volcano anywhere in the world would erupt and how destructive it would be. Volcanology was a field that no one had ventured into before, and the dangers of volcanos could only be understood through continued exploration. An erupting volcano is like a Grim Reaper, devouring all lives as it wishes. Volcanologists had to observe volcanic activities up close, and that’s what the Kraffts did. Each time, they risked their lives getting close to the craters and observing the magma. They saw skeletal remains of animals near the crater, witnessed how fast the lava flowed, and even managed to escape from sudden eruptions.

It’s been over thirty years since Katia and Maurice passed on, with their story immortalized through the film Fire of Love. People are amazed to see how these two passionate students who called for change on the streets of Paris had transformed into professionals who saved people from the disasters with their years of research. They went to remote locations, not to get away from the humanity they were wary of, but to observe volcanoes and do research, so that one day they could predict volcanic activity and save lives. The love triangle that emerged between the Kraffts and the volcanoes they studied about is testament to the power of loving nature and giving it a healthy amount of respect.