Abacus Media Rights’ Werner Herzog ‘The Fire Within’ acquired by ARTE for France and Germany

Feature documentary, The Fire Within: A Requiem for Katia and Maurice Krafft, directed by multiple award-winning Werner Herzog and distributed by Abacus Media Rights (AMR), an Amcomri Entertainment company, has been acquired by Arte for France and Germany in deals concluded by producers Brian Leith Productions UK, Bonne Pioche France and Titan Films Geneva.

In addition, ahead of its official launch at MIPTV in Cannes, Abacus Media Rights has pre-sold the 1 x 86’ feature about legendary French volcanologists Maurice and Katia Krafft to BBC Storyville for the UK, DR Denmark, SVT Sweden and NRK Norway to date.

Mt. Unzen, Kyushu, Japan at 3.18pm on 3 June 1991, a pyroclastic flow – a cloud of superheated gases and particles – descended at more than 100 mph from the peak of the volcano, consuming everything in its path.  It instantly killed Katia and Maurice Krafft, volcanologists and filmmakers from the Alsace region in France.  They were too close.  They were almost always too close.  On the day before they died, Maurice said in an interview, “I am never afraid, because I’ve seen so many eruptions in 25 years that, even if I die tomorrow, I don’t care.”

Written, directed and narrated by legendary German filmmaker, Werner Herzog, in this his 80^th year, The Fire Within pays homage to the Kraffts, who left an archive of more than 200 hours of footage of their final journal, which is unprecedented in its spectacular and hypnotic beauty. 

Werner Herzog has produced, written and directed more than sixty feature and documentary 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.

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Jonathan Ford, Managing Director, Abacus Media Rights, comments, “We feel honoured to have the opportunity to distribute The Fire Within.  It is an exceptional piece of storytelling by one of the world’s greatest filmmakers.  As well as being a glorious feast for the eyes, it reveals the intensity and determination of a couple who died fearlessly pursuing their absolute passion of volcano exploration.”