Clouds of gloom have settled over much of the documentary field, brought on by multiple factors: a sluggish acquisition market, cutbacks in the executive ranks at Netflix and Showtime, uncertainty around Hulu’s future, CNN Films taking doc production in house, sharper scrutiny of budgets and content needs, and… well, the list goes on.
But there’s at least one bright spot it the nonfiction firmament – National Geographic Documentary Films. Coming off its latest Oscar nomination – for the feature Fire of Love – the unit of the Walt Disney Company is leaning into documentary production with half a dozen films set for release or in the works.
First up: Wild Life, a film Carolyn Bernstein, EVP of global scripted content and documentary films for NatGeo, calls “a big, beautiful love story.” The couple at the heart of it – Doug and Kris Tompkins — left the corporate world for life in remote Chile.
But there’s at least one bright spot it the nonfiction firmament – National Geographic Documentary Films. Coming off its latest Oscar nomination – for the feature Fire of Love – the unit of the Walt Disney Company is leaning into documentary production with half a dozen films set for release or in the works.
First up: Wild Life, a film Carolyn Bernstein, EVP of global scripted content and documentary films for NatGeo, calls “a big, beautiful love story.” The couple at the heart of it – Doug and Kris Tompkins — left the corporate world for life in remote Chile.
- 4/17/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
The final stretch of the 2023 Oscar season has started with voters casting their ballots for the winners of the 95th annual Academy Awards. All season long, Gold Derby has been interviewing dozens of the nominees, including four contenders for Best Documentary Feature. Click on each documentarian’s name below to watch each of these 20-minute interviews.
Shaunak Sen, “All That Breathes”
“All That Breathes” focuses on brothers Nadeem Shehzad and Mohammed Saud, who with their assistant Salik have dedicated their lives to rehabilitating black kites and other birds in a cramped basement in Delhi. As producer-director Sen describes, he didn’t set out nor did he want to do an environmental film or a nature film or a political film. Rather, it was important to show the interconnectedness of mankind and nature: “When you live in the city of Delhi, the air is such an opaque, gray, heavy, tactile big presence…...
Shaunak Sen, “All That Breathes”
“All That Breathes” focuses on brothers Nadeem Shehzad and Mohammed Saud, who with their assistant Salik have dedicated their lives to rehabilitating black kites and other birds in a cramped basement in Delhi. As producer-director Sen describes, he didn’t set out nor did he want to do an environmental film or a nature film or a political film. Rather, it was important to show the interconnectedness of mankind and nature: “When you live in the city of Delhi, the air is such an opaque, gray, heavy, tactile big presence…...
- 3/6/2023
- by David Buchanan
- Gold Derby
When filmmaker-actor-writer Miranda July was approached about narrating the documentary Fire of Love, she didn’t see herself as an obvious choice.
“I was like, I don’t know,” she recalls, “I’m not like a narrator per se.”
Then there was the subject matter of the film – which has gone on to earn an Oscar nomination – the story of French couple Katia and Maurice Krafft, who gave their lives to the study of volcanology.
“What do I know about volcanoes? Nothing,” July tells Deadline. But then the film took hold of her. “I watched this sort of early version, I guess an early cut. And I was so shocked that at the end I was really emotional, as if volcanoes were my thing. And I realized, oh, it’s just this devotion that I relate to. That just kind of punched me in the chest or something.”
Miranda July...
“I was like, I don’t know,” she recalls, “I’m not like a narrator per se.”
Then there was the subject matter of the film – which has gone on to earn an Oscar nomination – the story of French couple Katia and Maurice Krafft, who gave their lives to the study of volcanology.
“What do I know about volcanoes? Nothing,” July tells Deadline. But then the film took hold of her. “I watched this sort of early version, I guess an early cut. And I was so shocked that at the end I was really emotional, as if volcanoes were my thing. And I realized, oh, it’s just this devotion that I relate to. That just kind of punched me in the chest or something.”
Miranda July...
- 3/4/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Oscar voters scanning their final ballot may do a double-take when they get to Best Documentary Feature: the name Shane Boris really does appear twice in the same category.
Boris is nominated as a producer for both National Geographic’s Fire of Love and CNN Films’ Navalny, a rare achievement in documentary that pairs him with the likes of Walt Disney, who was nominated in 1942 for two nonfiction shorts.
“As far as having two [nominations]… gosh, I feel lucky and grateful,” Boris tells Deadline. “More than anything, I feel this gratitude and camaraderie for everyone who made it possible… for everyone else that works in the teams with me.”
That modesty is one of the qualities that makes Boris among the most successful producers in nonfiction cinema. Often, a producer must embrace a certain degree of self-effacement for a project to reach its potential.
“I think the work of a producer...
Boris is nominated as a producer for both National Geographic’s Fire of Love and CNN Films’ Navalny, a rare achievement in documentary that pairs him with the likes of Walt Disney, who was nominated in 1942 for two nonfiction shorts.
“As far as having two [nominations]… gosh, I feel lucky and grateful,” Boris tells Deadline. “More than anything, I feel this gratitude and camaraderie for everyone who made it possible… for everyone else that works in the teams with me.”
That modesty is one of the qualities that makes Boris among the most successful producers in nonfiction cinema. Often, a producer must embrace a certain degree of self-effacement for a project to reach its potential.
“I think the work of a producer...
- 3/3/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
When scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft married in 1970, they headed to a place where few couples would choose to honeymoon: an active volcano. But Mount Stromboli off the coast of Sicily could not have suited them better as the love they shared was equaled only by their passion for the study of volcanoes.
Related Story ‘Fire Of Love’ To Pass 1 Million At Global Box Office, Becoming Year’s Top-Grossing Documentary Related Story Alice Rohrwacher & Alfonso Cuarón's 'Le Pupille' Draws Inspiration From Classic Italian Cinema – Contenders Film: The Nominees Related Story 'Women Talking's Sarah Polley On The Importance Of Casting In Her Movie: "We Couldn't Make Any Moves Until We Made All The Moves" – Contenders Film: The Nominees
The Oscar-nominated National Geographic documentary Fire of Love, directed by Sara Dosa, explores the Kraffts’ obsession with Earth’s explosive displays, a pursuit that would ultimately cost them their lives. Instead of...
Related Story ‘Fire Of Love’ To Pass 1 Million At Global Box Office, Becoming Year’s Top-Grossing Documentary Related Story Alice Rohrwacher & Alfonso Cuarón's 'Le Pupille' Draws Inspiration From Classic Italian Cinema – Contenders Film: The Nominees Related Story 'Women Talking's Sarah Polley On The Importance Of Casting In Her Movie: "We Couldn't Make Any Moves Until We Made All The Moves" – Contenders Film: The Nominees
The Oscar-nominated National Geographic documentary Fire of Love, directed by Sara Dosa, explores the Kraffts’ obsession with Earth’s explosive displays, a pursuit that would ultimately cost them their lives. Instead of...
- 2/18/2023
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
This year’s five Oscar-nominated documentary filmmakers agree: In an especially crowded content landscape, finding a story that they have to tell is critical. “Compelled, obsessed — I mean, you have to really love [a topic]. You have to just feel like it has a gravitational pull towards you,” “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed” director Laura Poitras said.
“A film is very often like a fever dream. You jump off a cliff,” said Shaunak Sen, the director of “All That Breathes.” “It just takes a sort of life of its own.”
Poitras and Sen were recently joined by fellow 2023 nominees Sara Dosa (“Fire of Love”), Simon Lereng Wilmont (“A House Made of Splinters”) and Daniel Roher (“Navalny”) in a panel hosted by TheWrap’s CEO and editor-in-chief Sharon Waxman in Los Angeles. The wide-ranging discussion, held as part of TheWrap’s Oscar-Nominated Documentary Features Showcase and its 2022-2023 Awards Season Screening Series,...
“A film is very often like a fever dream. You jump off a cliff,” said Shaunak Sen, the director of “All That Breathes.” “It just takes a sort of life of its own.”
Poitras and Sen were recently joined by fellow 2023 nominees Sara Dosa (“Fire of Love”), Simon Lereng Wilmont (“A House Made of Splinters”) and Daniel Roher (“Navalny”) in a panel hosted by TheWrap’s CEO and editor-in-chief Sharon Waxman in Los Angeles. The wide-ranging discussion, held as part of TheWrap’s Oscar-Nominated Documentary Features Showcase and its 2022-2023 Awards Season Screening Series,...
- 2/16/2023
- by Missy Schwartz
- The Wrap
When Sara Dosa was reviewing media appearances that had been made by Maurice Krafft and Katia Krafft for her documentary, “Fire of Love,” she found many instances of the sexism that Katia had to endure and there was one that really drove her team absolutely insane. “It was a scientific discussion on French television where the host introduces Maurice saying he’s a world renowned volcanologist and adventurer, ‘…and his wife Katia.’ You could just see Katia’s jaw tightening and I know so many women have had that experience too,” she tells Gold Derby during our recent Meet the Experts: Film Documentary panel (watch the exclusive video interview above).
Even though Katia had seen and studied more erupting volcanoes than Maurice had, Maurice would often have to correct the people who would make these introductions. “He would say it’s actually a problem in our relationship because Katia is cheating on me with volcanoes.
Even though Katia had seen and studied more erupting volcanoes than Maurice had, Maurice would often have to correct the people who would make these introductions. “He would say it’s actually a problem in our relationship because Katia is cheating on me with volcanoes.
- 1/12/2023
- by Charles Bright
- Gold Derby
Click here to read the full article.
Maurice and Katia Krafft were not just two of the world’s most notable volcanologists — they were also two of the greatest filmmakers, who ventured into dangerous volcanic locations to capture images of some of the planet’s most beautiful and beguiling forms of nature. After their death during the June 3, 1991, eruption on Japan’s Mount Unzen, they left behind an incredible archive of footage that displayed not only the unpredictable nature of volcanoes, but also what it means to be a human in a chaotic world.
The duo is the subject of Sara Dosa’s documentary Fire of Love, which traces an engaging love story between the Kraffts and their shared obsession. The director spoke to THR about assembling a narrative out of the Kraffts’ films and presenting the husband-and-wife partnership onscreen.
How did you first encounter the Kraffts and their work?...
Maurice and Katia Krafft were not just two of the world’s most notable volcanologists — they were also two of the greatest filmmakers, who ventured into dangerous volcanic locations to capture images of some of the planet’s most beautiful and beguiling forms of nature. After their death during the June 3, 1991, eruption on Japan’s Mount Unzen, they left behind an incredible archive of footage that displayed not only the unpredictable nature of volcanoes, but also what it means to be a human in a chaotic world.
The duo is the subject of Sara Dosa’s documentary Fire of Love, which traces an engaging love story between the Kraffts and their shared obsession. The director spoke to THR about assembling a narrative out of the Kraffts’ films and presenting the husband-and-wife partnership onscreen.
How did you first encounter the Kraffts and their work?...
- 12/15/2022
- by Tyler Coates
- The Hollywood Reporter - Movie News
The International Documentary Association (IDA) presented awards to the winners in 18 categories for the 38th IDA Documentary Awards on December 10, 2022 at the Paramount Theater in Los Angeles. Shaunak Sen‘s “All That Breathes” went into the evening with four nominations and emerged as a winner of three, including the top prize. See the full list of winners below.
In addition to taking home Best Feature Documentary, Shen was named Best Director and the film’s editor Charlotte Munch Bengtsen won for Best Editing. Of its four nominations, “All That Breathes” lost only the award for Best Cinematography which went to the team on “Fire of Love” instead.
“Fire of Love” was the leader in nominations with five and won twice — it was also victorious in Best Writing. “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues” won for Best Music Documentary and “The Melt Goes On Forever: The Art & Times of David Hammons” won for Best Music Score.
In addition to taking home Best Feature Documentary, Shen was named Best Director and the film’s editor Charlotte Munch Bengtsen won for Best Editing. Of its four nominations, “All That Breathes” lost only the award for Best Cinematography which went to the team on “Fire of Love” instead.
“Fire of Love” was the leader in nominations with five and won twice — it was also victorious in Best Writing. “Louis Armstrong’s Black & Blues” won for Best Music Documentary and “The Melt Goes On Forever: The Art & Times of David Hammons” won for Best Music Score.
- 12/13/2022
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
The International Documentary Association (IDA) announced the winners in 18 categories at the 38th annual IDA Documentary Awards Ceremony on December 10, 2022 at the Paramount Theater in Los Angeles. Hosted by Jenny Yang, the show was live-streamed on IDA’s YouTube channel.
Shaunak Sen’s Indian eco-documentary “All That Breathes” won Best Director, Editing, Feature Film, and the Pare Lorentz Award, beating out in that category Laura Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Sara Dosa’s Best Cinematography and Writing winner “Fire of Love,” Simon Lereng Wilmont’s “A House Made of Splinters,” Edward Buckles’ “Katrina Babies,” Isabel Castro’s “Mija,” Daniel Roher’s “Navalny,” Akuo de Mabior’s “No Simple Way Home,” Lukasz Kowalski’s “The Pawnshop,” and Neasa Ní Chianáin and Declan McGrath’s “Young Plato.”
The winner of the Sundance Film Festival 2022 Grand Jury Prize for World Documentary, “All the Breathes” is building momentum on the awards circuit,...
Shaunak Sen’s Indian eco-documentary “All That Breathes” won Best Director, Editing, Feature Film, and the Pare Lorentz Award, beating out in that category Laura Poitras’ “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” Sara Dosa’s Best Cinematography and Writing winner “Fire of Love,” Simon Lereng Wilmont’s “A House Made of Splinters,” Edward Buckles’ “Katrina Babies,” Isabel Castro’s “Mija,” Daniel Roher’s “Navalny,” Akuo de Mabior’s “No Simple Way Home,” Lukasz Kowalski’s “The Pawnshop,” and Neasa Ní Chianáin and Declan McGrath’s “Young Plato.”
The winner of the Sundance Film Festival 2022 Grand Jury Prize for World Documentary, “All the Breathes” is building momentum on the awards circuit,...
- 12/11/2022
- by Anne Thompson
- Indiewire
“All That Breathes” took top prize for best feature at the International Documentary Assn. Awards Dec. 10, also grabbing prizes for director Shaunak Sen, editing and the special Pare Lorentz award.
“We Need to Talk About Cosby” won the award for multi-part documentary, while “Fire of Love” took the cinematography and writing prizes.
The 38th annual event, held at L.A.’s Paramount Theater, was hosted by comic-actor Jenny Yang. Prizes were announced in 18 categories. The show was also LiveStreamed on IDA’s YouTube channel and the recording is now available.
There were 16 competitive categories and two special categories, the ABC News VideoSource Award and the Pare Lorentz Award.
This year’s shortlists and nominees were selected by independent committees of 310 documentary makers, curators, critics, and industry experts from 52 countries. IDA received 806 submissions in all categories, 40 of which are internationally produced or coproduced projects from 86 countries.
The winners are:
Feature: “All That Breathes...
“We Need to Talk About Cosby” won the award for multi-part documentary, while “Fire of Love” took the cinematography and writing prizes.
The 38th annual event, held at L.A.’s Paramount Theater, was hosted by comic-actor Jenny Yang. Prizes were announced in 18 categories. The show was also LiveStreamed on IDA’s YouTube channel and the recording is now available.
There were 16 competitive categories and two special categories, the ABC News VideoSource Award and the Pare Lorentz Award.
This year’s shortlists and nominees were selected by independent committees of 310 documentary makers, curators, critics, and industry experts from 52 countries. IDA received 806 submissions in all categories, 40 of which are internationally produced or coproduced projects from 86 countries.
The winners are:
Feature: “All That Breathes...
- 12/11/2022
- by Tim Gray
- Variety Film + TV
“All That Breathes,” a lyrical documentary about two brothers who rescue birds that have fallen victim to the polluted air in New Delhi, has been named the best nonfiction feature of 2022 at the International Documentary Association’s IDA Documentary Awards, which took place on Saturday night in Los Angeles.
“All That Breathes” won four awards overall, an unusually robust showing at the IDA Awards. The HBO Documentary Films release won Best Feature in a category that also included “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” “Fire of Love” and “Navalny”; director Shaunak Sen and editors Charlotte Munch Bengtsen and Vedant Joshi won in their categories; and the film also won the Pare Lorentz award, which goes to a socially conscious film of note.
“Fire of Love” won in the writing and cinematography and categories. Director Sara Dosa shared the win for writing, while the film’s late subjects, married volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft,...
“All That Breathes” won four awards overall, an unusually robust showing at the IDA Awards. The HBO Documentary Films release won Best Feature in a category that also included “All the Beauty and the Bloodshed,” “Fire of Love” and “Navalny”; director Shaunak Sen and editors Charlotte Munch Bengtsen and Vedant Joshi won in their categories; and the film also won the Pare Lorentz award, which goes to a socially conscious film of note.
“Fire of Love” won in the writing and cinematography and categories. Director Sara Dosa shared the win for writing, while the film’s late subjects, married volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft,...
- 12/11/2022
- by Steve Pond
- The Wrap
We now have a clear picture of where the Oscar race for Best Documentary Feature is headed. With Friday’s announcement of the International Documentary Association‘s (IDA) nominations, all four of the major nonfiction precursors have now weighed in. Cinema Eye Honors (Ceh) announced their nominees on November 10, Doc NYC gave us their annual shortlist on October 18, and the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards (Ccda) presented their slate on October 17. Only two films were recognized for top honors by all four of those groups: Sara Dosa‘s “Fire of Love” and Daniel Roher‘s “Navalny.”
Before we get into the full state of this year’s race, let’s understand why these four groups are so important. First off, in the last five years only one film — “The Mole Agent” (2020)– was nominated for the Academy Award without recognition from at least one of these groups first. Of the other 24 nominated films,...
Before we get into the full state of this year’s race, let’s understand why these four groups are so important. First off, in the last five years only one film — “The Mole Agent” (2020)– was nominated for the Academy Award without recognition from at least one of these groups first. Of the other 24 nominated films,...
- 11/13/2022
- by John Benutty
- Gold Derby
Vladimir Putin may prefer that people forget about imprisoned Russian opposition leader Alexei Navalny, but the Cinema Eye Honors isn’t.
The awards show dedicated to the art and craft of documentary film today announced its 2023 Unforgettables list of the most memorable subjects of nonfiction films this year, and Navalny’s name was front and center. The story of the lawyer and anti-corruption crusader, who was almost killed in a Kremlin poisoning plot in 2020, is told in the award-winning film Navalny, directed by Daniel Roher.
Joining Navalny on the Unforgettables list is another political leader — Gabby Giffords, the former Congresswoman from Arizona who was severely injured in an assassination attempt in 2011. Her difficult road to recovery and return to activism is told in Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen.
Artist Nan Goldin
Nan Goldin, the artist at the center of the Laura Poitras...
The awards show dedicated to the art and craft of documentary film today announced its 2023 Unforgettables list of the most memorable subjects of nonfiction films this year, and Navalny’s name was front and center. The story of the lawyer and anti-corruption crusader, who was almost killed in a Kremlin poisoning plot in 2020, is told in the award-winning film Navalny, directed by Daniel Roher.
Joining Navalny on the Unforgettables list is another political leader — Gabby Giffords, the former Congresswoman from Arizona who was severely injured in an assassination attempt in 2011. Her difficult road to recovery and return to activism is told in Gabby Giffords Won’t Back Down, directed by Betsy West and Julie Cohen.
Artist Nan Goldin
Nan Goldin, the artist at the center of the Laura Poitras...
- 10/26/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Laura Poitras’s documentary All the Beauty and the Bloodshed appears to be on more solid ground as a possible Oscar frontrunner, after the release of Doc NYC’s influential shortlist of the year’s top nonfiction films.
Atbatb made the Doc NYC cut of 15 feature films Tuesday, a day after it missed out on a nomination as Best Documentary Feature for the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards (Poitras did earn a Best Director nomination and her film was nominated as Best Political Documentary by the critics group).
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, about artist Nan Goldin and her indefatigable campaign against the Sackler family of Oxycontin ignominy, last month became only the second documentary to win the top prize in Venice. Joining the film on the Doc NYC shortlist is Fire of Love, the National Geographic documentary that has earned more than 1.5 million in worldwide release. It tells the...
Atbatb made the Doc NYC cut of 15 feature films Tuesday, a day after it missed out on a nomination as Best Documentary Feature for the Critics’ Choice Documentary Awards (Poitras did earn a Best Director nomination and her film was nominated as Best Political Documentary by the critics group).
All the Beauty and the Bloodshed, about artist Nan Goldin and her indefatigable campaign against the Sackler family of Oxycontin ignominy, last month became only the second documentary to win the top prize in Venice. Joining the film on the Doc NYC shortlist is Fire of Love, the National Geographic documentary that has earned more than 1.5 million in worldwide release. It tells the...
- 10/19/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Exclusive: One of the most honored documentaries of the year is heading to the very big screen.
National Geographic Documentary Films and Neon announced today they are bringing Fire of Love to select Imax locations on October 16 and 17, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, and Washington D.C. The film, directed by Sara Dosa, explores the story of research scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft, a French couple who devoted their lives to studying active volcanoes. They captured awe-inspiring footage of volcanic eruptions in the 1970s and ‘80s, spectacular imagery that seems ideally suited for Imax exhibition.
Maurice and Katia Krafft
“Katia and Maurice Krafft loved two things — each other and volcanoes,” a description of the film notes. “For two decades, the daring French volcanologist couple roamed the planet, chasing eruptions and documenting their discoveries. Ultimately, they lost their lives in a 1991 volcanic explosion, leaving a legacy that...
National Geographic Documentary Films and Neon announced today they are bringing Fire of Love to select Imax locations on October 16 and 17, including New York, Los Angeles, San Francisco, Boston, Chicago, and Washington D.C. The film, directed by Sara Dosa, explores the story of research scientists Katia and Maurice Krafft, a French couple who devoted their lives to studying active volcanoes. They captured awe-inspiring footage of volcanic eruptions in the 1970s and ‘80s, spectacular imagery that seems ideally suited for Imax exhibition.
Maurice and Katia Krafft
“Katia and Maurice Krafft loved two things — each other and volcanoes,” a description of the film notes. “For two decades, the daring French volcanologist couple roamed the planet, chasing eruptions and documenting their discoveries. Ultimately, they lost their lives in a 1991 volcanic explosion, leaving a legacy that...
- 10/7/2022
- by Matthew Carey
- Deadline Film + TV
Volcanologists and filmmakers Maurice and Katia Krafft studying an erupting volcanoes, in the documentary Fire Of Love. Courtesy of National Geographic Films.
Volcanoes and love often paired in romantic imagery but Fire Of Love documents a real case of volcanic love, that of married volcanologists Katia and Maurice Kraft, who loved volcanoes, and each other, more than anything.
Even if you have never heard their names, you have likely seen their work, as their breath-taking film footage and still photos of volcanoes erupting have been used countless times in films, as well as appearing in their own documentaries. The couple initially shot the footage as a way to capture complex phenomenon for later scientific analysis, but because they got so close and were so skilled as photographers, the images are astounding, even works of art, in their own right.
The Kraffts have been the subjects of other documentaries, including Werner Herzog’s Into The Inferno.
Volcanoes and love often paired in romantic imagery but Fire Of Love documents a real case of volcanic love, that of married volcanologists Katia and Maurice Kraft, who loved volcanoes, and each other, more than anything.
Even if you have never heard their names, you have likely seen their work, as their breath-taking film footage and still photos of volcanoes erupting have been used countless times in films, as well as appearing in their own documentaries. The couple initially shot the footage as a way to capture complex phenomenon for later scientific analysis, but because they got so close and were so skilled as photographers, the images are astounding, even works of art, in their own right.
The Kraffts have been the subjects of other documentaries, including Werner Herzog’s Into The Inferno.
- 7/29/2022
- by Cate Marquis
- WeAreMovieGeeks.com
Documentary embraces the mythology around Maurice and Katia Krafft, the husband-and-wife scientists who died in the 1991 Mount Unzen disaster
On 3 June 1991, the Mount Unzen volcano in southern Japan erupted catastrophically, killing 43 people, among them the volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft, a married couple who had become legendary for their passionate devotion to the study of volcanos; their daredevil films, photographs and books documented their breathtakingly dangerous closeup study of volcanoes in mid-flow. I first heard of them from Werner Herzog’s film Into the Inferno.
But where Herzog’s film has something dispassionate, almost fatalistic in its awe in the face of the volcano’s terrifying power, this film looks for something romantic, celebrating or consecrating the myth of the Kraffts: they loved each other, they loved volcanoes and it all came together on that terrible day. Maurice in fact often casually talked about the probability of dying in a...
On 3 June 1991, the Mount Unzen volcano in southern Japan erupted catastrophically, killing 43 people, among them the volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft, a married couple who had become legendary for their passionate devotion to the study of volcanos; their daredevil films, photographs and books documented their breathtakingly dangerous closeup study of volcanoes in mid-flow. I first heard of them from Werner Herzog’s film Into the Inferno.
But where Herzog’s film has something dispassionate, almost fatalistic in its awe in the face of the volcano’s terrifying power, this film looks for something romantic, celebrating or consecrating the myth of the Kraffts: they loved each other, they loved volcanoes and it all came together on that terrible day. Maurice in fact often casually talked about the probability of dying in a...
- 7/27/2022
- by Peter Bradshaw
- The Guardian - Film News
Two lovers, countless volcanoes, and hundreds of hours of footage: “Fire of Love” has an engulfing heat that viewers, much like the documentary’s subjects Maurice and Katia Krafft, can’t help but run toward.
As IndieWire can exclusively announce, National Geographic Documentary Films and Neon will debut the Sundance award-winning documentary “Fire of Love” in theaters July 6. Directed by Sara Dosa (“The Seer and the Unseen”) and narrated by filmmaker Miranda July (“Kajillionaire”), “Fire of Love” centers on married couple Maurice and Katia Krafft who, after meeting on a blind date, share a fascination with explosive volcanoes. IndieWire also shares the exclusive trailer below.
After debuting at 2022 Sundance, “Fire of Love” won the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award. After its July 6 theatrical premiere in select cities, the film will roll out in theaters nationwide before eventually streaming on Disney+. (IndieWire featured the film on its list of 35 Movies to Know for the 2023 Oscar Race.
As IndieWire can exclusively announce, National Geographic Documentary Films and Neon will debut the Sundance award-winning documentary “Fire of Love” in theaters July 6. Directed by Sara Dosa (“The Seer and the Unseen”) and narrated by filmmaker Miranda July (“Kajillionaire”), “Fire of Love” centers on married couple Maurice and Katia Krafft who, after meeting on a blind date, share a fascination with explosive volcanoes. IndieWire also shares the exclusive trailer below.
After debuting at 2022 Sundance, “Fire of Love” won the Jonathan Oppenheim Editing Award. After its July 6 theatrical premiere in select cities, the film will roll out in theaters nationwide before eventually streaming on Disney+. (IndieWire featured the film on its list of 35 Movies to Know for the 2023 Oscar Race.
- 6/1/2022
- by Samantha Bergeson
- Indiewire
Feature documentary “The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft,” directed by German filmmaker Werner Herzog and distributed by Abacus Media Rights, has been acquired by Arte for France and Germany.
In addition, ahead of its official launch at MipTV in Cannes, Amr has pre-sold the feature, about French volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft, to BBC Storyville for the U.K., Dr in Denmark, Svt in Sweden and Nrk in Norway.
Written, directed and narrated by Herzog, “The Fire Within” pays homage to the Kraffts, who left an archive of more than 200 hours of footage.
Herzog has produced, written and directed more than 60 narrative and documentary feature films, including “Grizzly Man,” “Invincible,” “Encounters at the End of the World” and “Cave of Forgotten Dreams.” He was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2009.
The film is produced by Brian Leith Productions, Bonne Pioche and Titan Films.
In addition, ahead of its official launch at MipTV in Cannes, Amr has pre-sold the feature, about French volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft, to BBC Storyville for the U.K., Dr in Denmark, Svt in Sweden and Nrk in Norway.
Written, directed and narrated by Herzog, “The Fire Within” pays homage to the Kraffts, who left an archive of more than 200 hours of footage.
Herzog has produced, written and directed more than 60 narrative and documentary feature films, including “Grizzly Man,” “Invincible,” “Encounters at the End of the World” and “Cave of Forgotten Dreams.” He was named one of the world’s 100 most influential people by Time magazine in 2009.
The film is produced by Brian Leith Productions, Bonne Pioche and Titan Films.
- 4/5/2022
- by Leo Barraclough
- Variety Film + TV
Filmmakers Sara Dosa and Lars Ostenfeld, whose docs “Fire of Love” and “Into the Ice” are vying for the top Dox:Award at Copenhagen Intl. Documentary Film Festival, have opened up about the creative challenges of making films about science and climate change during a morning talk at the fest’s industry events.
Dosa’s “Fire of Love,” which premiered at Sundance where it was picked up by National Geographic Films, is a lyrical archival collage of extraordinary archive material about the lives of French volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft.
Asked how she chose her story, Dosa explained that she came across them when researching her previous film set in Iceland (“The Seer and the Unseen”), and knew they were the perfect fit.
“I am endlessly curious about the human relationship with nature, specifically through the lens of myth or allegory – and how a central metaphor can tease out wider themes...
Dosa’s “Fire of Love,” which premiered at Sundance where it was picked up by National Geographic Films, is a lyrical archival collage of extraordinary archive material about the lives of French volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft.
Asked how she chose her story, Dosa explained that she came across them when researching her previous film set in Iceland (“The Seer and the Unseen”), and knew they were the perfect fit.
“I am endlessly curious about the human relationship with nature, specifically through the lens of myth or allegory – and how a central metaphor can tease out wider themes...
- 4/1/2022
- by Lise Pedersen
- Variety Film + TV
True/False Festival Returns In-Person With Annual Parade and Spirited Response to Docus About Russia
True/False, the preeminent non-fiction festival, returned as an in-person event Thursday, drawing documentary notables and fans of their work to a Missouri college town for the first lineup under the artistic direction of Chloe Trayner.
There were 31 features and 19 short non-fiction films at the fest, which had more of an international tilt than usual and concludes March 6. Eight features, including “Fire of Love,” “I Didn’t See You There” and “The Territory,” had previously debuted virtually at Sundance in January, but screened for the first time for public audiences at True/False.
Their respective directors — Sara Dosa (“Fire of Love”), Reid Davenport (“I Didn’t See You There”) Alex Pritz (“The Territory”) – were among the filmmakers making the trek to Columbia for the 19th edition of True/False. Fellow Sundance 2022 doc directors including Isabel Castro (“Mija”) and Joe Hunting (“We Met in Virtual Reality”) also attended.
“Sundance was amazing, but True...
There were 31 features and 19 short non-fiction films at the fest, which had more of an international tilt than usual and concludes March 6. Eight features, including “Fire of Love,” “I Didn’t See You There” and “The Territory,” had previously debuted virtually at Sundance in January, but screened for the first time for public audiences at True/False.
Their respective directors — Sara Dosa (“Fire of Love”), Reid Davenport (“I Didn’t See You There”) Alex Pritz (“The Territory”) – were among the filmmakers making the trek to Columbia for the 19th edition of True/False. Fellow Sundance 2022 doc directors including Isabel Castro (“Mija”) and Joe Hunting (“We Met in Virtual Reality”) also attended.
“Sundance was amazing, but True...
- 3/6/2022
- by Addie Morfoot
- Variety Film + TV
The sight of people in strange silver suits against a wall of blazing crimson magma looks as though it has been plucked from a Seventies science-fiction film. In fact, it's just one of many of the remarkable pieces of footage drawn from the archive of French geologist Maurice and geoscientist Katia Krafft that Sara Dosa and writers Shane Boris, Erin Casper, Jocelyne Chaput flow together for this documentary consideration of their life and work.
The pair - who the narration, by Miranda July, quickly indicates, would lose their lives due to a volcano in 1991 - met in 1966 and went on to forge their careers at the cutting edge of volcanology until their deaths. "We erupt often," quips Maurice in one of the many interviews that are intercut with the footage they shot on their regular expeditions, already indicating the pair's media-savvy ability to coin a phrase. Fire Of Love,...
The pair - who the narration, by Miranda July, quickly indicates, would lose their lives due to a volcano in 1991 - met in 1966 and went on to forge their careers at the cutting edge of volcanology until their deaths. "We erupt often," quips Maurice in one of the many interviews that are intercut with the footage they shot on their regular expeditions, already indicating the pair's media-savvy ability to coin a phrase. Fire Of Love,...
- 2/3/2022
- by Amber Wilkinson
- eyeforfilm.co.uk
“Curiosity is stronger than fear,” utters Katia Krafft, via an actress giving voice to her writing, underscoring images of unimaginably scorching lava exploding around her. With her endearingly reckless husband Maurice Krafft, they form the one-of-kind couple that blazes through the arresting documentary “Fire of Love” from director Sara Dosa.
Read More: Sundance 2022 Preview: 20 Must-See Movies From The Festival
Constructed from the hundreds of hours of grainy footage that the intrepid French volcanologists, previously featured in Werner Herzog’s own exploration on the subject “Into the Inferno,” left behind after their untimely passing, the film makes the case that their marriage was the foundation of their fearlessness.
Continue reading ‘Fire of Love’ Review: Volcanologists Doc Tells Story Of A Singular Romance Blazing With Jaw-Dropping Imagery [Sundance] at The Playlist.
Read More: Sundance 2022 Preview: 20 Must-See Movies From The Festival
Constructed from the hundreds of hours of grainy footage that the intrepid French volcanologists, previously featured in Werner Herzog’s own exploration on the subject “Into the Inferno,” left behind after their untimely passing, the film makes the case that their marriage was the foundation of their fearlessness.
Continue reading ‘Fire of Love’ Review: Volcanologists Doc Tells Story Of A Singular Romance Blazing With Jaw-Dropping Imagery [Sundance] at The Playlist.
- 1/21/2022
- by Carlos Aguilar
- The Playlist
At times, nothing is as gratifying to watch as a movie about obsession that lures you into sharing the obsession. “Fire of Love,” one of the movies that are opening the Sundance Film Festival tonight, is a documentary about an unassuming French couple, Maurice and Katia Krafft, who became the world’s most ardent volcanologists. Starting in 1966, when they met, and over the next 25 years, the two traveled to as many active volcanos as they could find, from Zaire to Colombia to Iceland to America to Japan — and when I say active, I don’t mean wisps of smoke billowing out of the crater. The Kraffts got as close as possible to the danger and spectacle of these seismic tectonic eruptions from the depths of the earth. They stood right next to gleaming rivers of lava, to massive showers of hot rocks, and recorded it all, leaving a filmed and...
- 1/21/2022
- by Owen Gleiberman
- Variety Film + TV
If you can read the stories of a whole bunch of women pioneers — such as the ones in the book I’m about to discuss — without being at least a little bit annoyed at men in general, frankly there’s something wrong with you.
And you can take “men in general” as expansively as you want, o dudes who insist “man” is always and ever a perfectly good word to mean “humanity.” There’s enough shittiness and negativity in the world for at least two genders.
But damn did every single advance for women come because a woman demanded it, fought for it, and faced down multiple men who insisted that not only shouldn’t she do that, it was physically impossible for her to do it, so she should just go back her knitting and housekeeping.
(And if I hear a single “not all men,” I’m going to smack you so hard.
And you can take “men in general” as expansively as you want, o dudes who insist “man” is always and ever a perfectly good word to mean “humanity.” There’s enough shittiness and negativity in the world for at least two genders.
But damn did every single advance for women come because a woman demanded it, fought for it, and faced down multiple men who insisted that not only shouldn’t she do that, it was physically impossible for her to do it, so she should just go back her knitting and housekeeping.
(And if I hear a single “not all men,” I’m going to smack you so hard.
- 8/11/2018
- by Andrew Wheeler
- Comicmix.com
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.