The basic idea for Solitude began as a Spanish-language short film that Pi wrote while working as a camera assistant in Madrid in 1995.

Back in the United States, Susan and Pi met and began a romantic relationship. Susan was on a hiatus from her careers as a psychologist and stand-up comedian, and we immediately realized our potential as collaborators on the feature length version of Solitude.

Pi’s past experience with depression and bitterness following a broken heart was the genesis for the character of Louis. But it was Susan’s extensive doctorate level study of psychology and our joint fascination with the twisted aspects of family that spun Solitude into its current incarnation.

In order to enhance the genuine performances of the actors, we chose to rehearse the material as if it were a play, to avoid staged lighting, and to shoot entirely with small, hand-held cameras. When we wanted to foster a sense of panic and sensuality (as in the green-and-white night sequences), we employed a camera mounted with an infrared beam.

While shooting the film, we had to put our personal relationship on hold. Directing a feature is an all-encompassing, crises-laden event, and we couldn’t use the cast or crew’s time to resolve our personal issues. We tried to be a single unit with a common vision. Of course, each of us has our own strengths—our own personal rapport with a certain actor, an instinctive gift with art direction, a knowledge of camera lenses, etc.—and we tried to take advantage of our differences as well as what we had in common. Because of the stress involved in independent filmmaking and the intensity of Solitude’s subject matter, no one expected our relationship to survive. We were married on August 3, 2002.

Ultimately, our goals in making Solitude were to expose the darker side of family and to communicate the pain and absurdity of tragic love.

Susan Kraker and Pi Ware