EXCLUSIVE: Scientists, explorers, lovers. Katia and Maurice Krafft, the stars of the Oscar-nominated documentary Fire of Love, were all those things. On Valentine’s Day, National Geographic and Neon are bringing the film about the ill-fated couple back to theaters for one night only.
The engagement will see the film play at several theaters in New York (AMC Empire 25, AMC Lincoln Square, Regal Union Square), Los Angeles (AMC Century City, AMC Santa Monica Promenade, Laemmle Monica Film Center), San Francisco (AMC Kabuki, AMC Metreon), as well as Chicago, Boston, Washington, DC, King of Prussia, Penn. and other cities.
The film is set to make its broadcast debut on KABC on Saturday, Feb. 18, at 9 p.m. PST and on WABC Sunday, Feb. 19, at 1 p.m. EST. It is currently streaming on Disney+ and Hulu.
Director Sara Dosa earned the first Academy Award nomination of her career for the documentary, the highest-grossing film of any of the Oscar-nominated nonfiction features. It’s the story of a French couple who, as NatGeo puts it, “loved each other and volcanoes.” The Kraffts’ studies significantly advanced the scientific understanding of volcanic activity around the world, but their passion led to their demise when they traveled to Japan to document Japan’s smoldering Mt. Unzen in June 1991. When the volcano erupted, the Kraffts and dozens of others were killed by a pyroclastic flow that escaped a channel and rushed towards them.
“I’m thrilled Fire of Love is back in theaters — especially for Valentine’s Day,” Dosa said in a statement. “We think of our film as a love triangle between two humans and volcanoes centered on the mysteries of both our planet and the human heart. I’m particularly happy that audiences are getting to know the Kraffts 30 years after their deaths — especially that Katia is being so celebrated once again as one of the first pioneering women in geosciences whose work inspired women to break through sexist boundaries in her own time, and her legacy is continuing to do so today.”
Vogue calls Fire of Love “The date-night documentary we need now.” Rolling Stone describes it as “the greatest lava-fueled love story ever told.” The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival last year and has been nominated for Oscar, Bafta, PGA, DGA, and ACE awards. Filmmaker-actress Miranda July, who narrates the film, will provide a special introduction to the documentary for the Valentine’s Day theatrical showings.
Fire of Love is produced by Dosa along with Shane Boris and Ina Fichman, and edited by Erin Casper and Jocelyne Chaput. Boris earned two Oscar nominations this year – for producing Fire of Love and fellow Best Documentary Feature nominee Navalny.