Kristen Stewart just released the first official photo for her directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, and it has been the talk on social media from both avid fans and critics alike. It follows Imogen Poots playing the lead as author Lidia Yuknavitch in an adaptation of her memoir to screen.
This is an unusual career choice as this time out, Stewart is stepping behind the camera by co-writing the screenplay with Andy Mingo. The film takes on some of the heaviest topics. But, it shows that even from the darkest times in life, beauty and art can still be produced.
Filming for Stewart's feature film, which has been in the works since 2018, was completed this July. The shooting took place in Latvia and Malta, according to Variety.
The teaser suggests a raw, personal cinematic tone that seems to imply just how much Stewart is invested in this film. She referred to the memoir as "radical in a million ways" in an interview with Rolling Stone and showed she's loyal to the original material.
Kristen Stewart's vision for The Chronology of Water
Kristen Stewart plunges into The Chronology of Water, coming far away from the shorts she used to make, like Come Swim and Crickets. And evidently, shooting in Latvia and not persisting with Hollywood does say a lot about creative freedom.
In an interview with Net-a-Porter, she explained:
“I needed a sort of radical detachment. I am not a director yet. I need to make a student film. I can’t do that here”
That separation gave Stewart the leeway to create a real and believable world for Yuknavitch's story. The film borders on Yuknavitch's tough journey from a troubled childhood to her success as a writer, showing how she had changed her trauma into something beautiful.
The story is about Yuknavitch's life in the Pacific Northwest, from the ups and downs of being a woman to the roller coaster of growing up. As Stewart mentioned to Rolling Stone, it took a while to secure funding for this project, because it tackled heavy themes: s**ual abuse as a child, queer love, and addiction.
The cast and team behind The Chronology of Water
The cast for Stewart's adaptation of The Chronology of Water is an ensemble. It stars Imogen Poots as Lidia Yuknavitch. In supporting roles, you'll see Thora Birch, Earl Cave, Michael Epp, and Jim Belushi. Musician Kim Gordon makes an appearance, lending more to the film's vèritè.
Stewart partnered with some international production companies to bring the film to life, such as Scott Free Productions and CG Cinema International, according to Variety. The memoir is an account of change, morphing painful experiences into creative output, with raw intensity.
Stewart emphasized how much The Chronology of Water means to her when she told Variety in January 2024:
"I won’t make another movie until I make this one."
Les Films du Losange is releasing the film worldwide, while WME Independent will handle sales in North America. For what it's worth, with buzz continuing to build, it looks like Stewart's debut will make a splash in the critical scene and pop culture.
Check out The Chronology of Water when it hits theaters or shows up on your favorite streaming platform.
