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The Chronology of Water: What to think about Kristen Stewart’s bold directorial debut?
American actress Kristen Stewart unveiled her directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, at the Deauville Film Festival. Inspired by the tumultuous life of an American writer, her film premiered in Cannes last May and will be out in theatres on October 15th, 2025. British actress Imogen Poots stars in the lead role, alongside cult musician Kim Gordon, in this harsh and impactful film, which won the Revelation Prize in Deauville.
By Violaine Schütz,
and The Editorial Team.
Kristen Stewart’s The Chronology of Water unveiled in Cannes and Deauville
Since her breakthrough in Twilight in 2007, Kristen Stewart has consistently moved away from the silent and withdrawn character of Bella Swan she once embodied next to her ex-boyfriend Robert Pattinson. At 35, she has become highly selective in her career, claiming she has only made five truly great films to date.
After starring in features films by Woody Allen, Ang Lee, David Cronenberg, Kelly Reichardt, and Olivier Assayas (Personal Shopper, Clouds of Sils Maria), the American actress is now getting behind the camera with her debut film The Chronology of Water (2025).
The film was eight years in the making and premiered in May 2025 at the Cannes Film Festival in the category “Un Certain Regard”. Kristen Stewart then traveled to the Deauville American Film Festival in September 2025 to present it. There, her raw, viscous and extreme feature won the Revelation Prize and revealed her genuine directorial talent.
The film adaptation of a coarse novel
With this film, the Love Lies Bleeding actress takes a bold new step in her career. Kristen Stewart chose to adapt the memoir The Chronology of Water written by American author Lidia Yuknavitch. Speaking to Deadline, the Spencer star, who had the backing of Ridley Scott’s production company Scott Free, said: “Lidia’s memoir speaks of bodily experiences in a radical way. Capturing that on screen, conveying that impulse feels essential to me… This absolutely has to be a film.”
The striking and brutally honest novel, published in 2011, recounts the life of its author. The latter grew up in a troubled household. Her father abused both her and her sister, while their alcoholic mother turned a blind eye. Addicted to drugs and alcohol, the young woman eventually makes it to university thanks to her swimming talent. She ultimately finds refuge in literature and writing.
A fractured film, like its protagonist
Highly arty and unconventional, the film features several disturbing scenes involving drug use, sex, and bondage. The protagonist endures numerous trials, including the traumatic stillbirth of a baby. Non-linear, daring and fragmented, the feature portrays female trauma through a sensorial and original lens, sometimes leaving the viewer with a lingering feeling of discomfort.
In its fractured form, it seeks to symbolically convey the insidious damage caused by incest, all the while hiding the assault scenes. The feature is, in fact, as scattered and cracked as the protagonist herself. Among flashbacks, excerpts from notebooks read aloud or printed on screen, and cryptic images, the horror of what the little girl endured is depicted with remarkable boldness and radical honesty. The viewer is plunged into the heroine’s traumas, breathless, until she finally gets again above water thanks to the power of words.
Imogen Poots, the intense lead in Kristen Stewart’s film
While Kristen Stewart asserts her vision as a filmmaker, British actress Imogen Poots (Vivarium, 28 Weeks Later, Need for Speed) confirms her talent with a fiery, raw performance reminiscent of a literary Courtney Love. Shot in Latvia and Malta, The Chronology of Water also features singer Kim Gordon, Thora Birch (American Beauty), Earl Cave (son of musician Nick Cave), Michael Epp, Susannah Flood and Jim Belushi.
Kristen Stewart does not appear in the film though. The American actress and director was determined to fully establish herself behind the camera. Back in 2017, she directed her debut short film Come Swim, a visually poetic piece inspired by impressionist painting that explored a man falling into madness.
In 2020, she directed a second short as part of Netflix’s Homemade project. Launched during the Covid-19 pandemic, the project also featured filmmakers like Ladj Ly and Paolo Sorrentino. From now on, we’ll be please to see Kristen Stewart impress us both in front of and behind the camera.
The Chronology of Water by Kristen Stewart, coming out in theatres on October 15th, 2025.
