Kristen Stewart Reflects on Directing ‘The Chronology of Water’ and Its Emotional Journey

Kristen Stewart premiered her long-awaited directorial debut, ‘The Chronology of Water,’ at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival after an arduous eight-year production marked by constant setbacks, including loss of financing, cast changes, and extreme weather. The film is an adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir and stars Imogen Poots as the lead. Stewart describes the film as a raw, emotional experience that explores themes of trauma, sexuality, memory, and reclamation of female identity. She compares the film’s structure to a female orgasm — nonlinear, intense, and persistent. Stewart also discusses the influence of Fiona Apple’s music on the project, for which she wrote a heartfelt letter to secure rights. Despite the chaos during production and post-production, including a nearly lost low-res cut of the film, Stewart views the experience as transformative. The film’s visceral visuals and unfiltered portrayal of bodily experiences serve to create what Stewart calls a ‘feminine cinematic language.’ Her anecdote about Imogen Poots having ‘big tit energy’ was a metaphor for Poots’ emotional presence rather than her physical appearance. Stewart affirms that the project, though challenging, became a powerful artistic expression of survival, pain, and authenticity.