I Don't Understand You
As life partners and creative collaborators, David Joseph Craig and Brian William Crano embarked on a deeply personal journey when they faced a harrowing ordeal during their initial attempt to adopt a child. This emotional experience became the driving force behind their latest film, I Don’t Understand You, a horror-comedy that has garnered widespread acclaim. The duo channeled their own adoption struggles into the film’s narrative, reflecting their contrasting ways of coping Craig retreated inward, while Crano found comfort in conversation. It wasn’t until the global pandemic paused life as they knew it that they could fully process the weight of their shared experience, which eventually inspired the storyline surrounding the would-be parents, Dom (Nick Kroll) and Cole (Andrew Rannells).
After years of frustration, the directors ultimately experienced the joy of welcoming a son into their lives, a story of triumph that mirrored, albeit in a heightened manner, their film’s plot. A pivotal moment in their personal history an accident during an Italian getaway for their wedding anniversary became the catalyst for the fictional couple’s chaotic night in the film, which includes a series of misadventures and an encounter with an elderly Italian woman.
In I Don’t Understand You, Craig and Crano intentionally crafted gay protagonists who are flawed yet relatable a stark departure from the often tragic narratives typically associated with LGBTQ+ characters. “All media about gay people… has been either a tragic coming-out story or an AIDS story,” Crano points out, emphasizing their desire to present queer characters in diverse and multi-dimensional ways.
The casting choices, including Kroll and Rannells, were carefully considered to challenge traditional portrayals of LGBTQ+ characters, ensuring the film would break away from stereotypes. Their collaborators, including industry veterans like Joel Edgerton, played a key role in providing the support needed to bring the project to life.
The film’s production unfolded smoothly, thanks to the seamless collaboration with cinematographer Lowell Meyer and producer Kara Durrett, both of whom enriched the creative vision. Despite working in a genre often regarded with caution by traditional studios, Crano and Craig found unexpected backing for the project during the pandemic, ultimately bringing it to the screen.
I Don’t Understand You premiered on June 6, marking a significant moment for unique and diverse storytelling in contemporary cinema. Looking ahead, Crano and Craig are already in the process of developing their next project a satirical holiday film that transposes familial holiday tensions into a more exaggerated physical realm, staying true to their trademark blend of humor and dark narrative twists.
