Kristen Stewart isn’t afraid to push boundaries. The Academy Award-nominated actress is taking a leap behind the camera, directing the film adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch’s powerful memoir, “The Chronology of Water.” Known for her captivating performances in films like “Twilight” and “Spencer,” Stewart is drawn to complex characters and stories. Yuknavitch’s raw exploration of overcoming challenges clearly struck a chord with her.
Memoir Gets the Limelight
The Chronology of Water, released in 2011, is an emotional wreckage that describes Lidia’s anything-but-easy childhood. The film chronicles Yuknavitch’s journey, navigating themes of trauma and resilience. From dreaming of becoming a competitive swimmer to how she reached where she is today. While the memoir goes into difficult topics, Stewart isn’t aiming to shy away from the raw emotions it evokes. The Chronology of Water treads through life’s surprises and hurt imposed by the closest of people. Kristen Stewart is adamant about bringing these feelings to life.
Stewart’s Passion Project is Touchy & Taboo
“The Chronology of Water” is raw, unfiltered, and explicit. It deals with topics of alcohol abuse, sexual abuse, menstruation, exploring sexuality, domestic violence, and extreme acts of pleasure. The film, according to Stewart, is radical in a million ways. The Chronology of Water has been in the works for 7 long years, but the Spencer actress-turned-director is keen on finishing it and bringing it to where it needs to be: On the silver screen.
A Radical Feature – What Does it Entail?
The project is still in pre-production, but some exciting details are already confirmed. Given the lack of financial support, The Chronology of Water is still a few steps away from production, which is why not much is known about the release date. Award-winning actress Imogen Poots will take the lead role, with legendary filmmaker Ridley Scott on board as producer. To create a unique atmosphere, filming will take place in Latvia. While funding is still being secured, “The Chronology of Water” is already generating buzz. With Stewart’s passion for the project and a talented team behind it, expectations are high. Stay tuned for updates on this exciting directorial debut!
The ‘Woman’ Behind The Camera
This isn’t Stewart’s first foray into directing. She made waves with her short film “Come Swim” at the Sundance Film Festival and followed it up with the anthology film “Crickets” on Netflix. Now, she’s tackling a full-length feature with The Chronology of Water. She’s been in front of the camera since 2001, starring in the independent film The Safety of Objects (2001) and thriller films Panic Room (2002) and The Messengers (2007).
Her career catapulted with the role of Bella Swan, in the young adult romantic-fantasy film series Twilight (2008). She also starred in the critically acclaimed psychological-drama Clouds of Sils Maria (2014) and her role of Valentine was praised worldwide. She then starred in the action-comedy films Charlie’s Angels (2019), and Spencer (2021) playing the dynamic and titular role of Diana, Princess of Wales, and Love Lies Bleeding (2024).
However, it was in May 2016, when the Academy Award-nominee actress had an epiphany and wanted to step into the world of feature-film direction. Her first-ever short film was a collaboration with Refinery29, called Come Swim. It premiered at the 2017 Sundance Film Festival. Her next directional feature was Crickets, an anthology film that was released on Netflix on June 30th, 2020.
As of now, she’s in the soft prep stage of her initiation as a full-blown movie director. Kristen Stewart will write and direct Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir The Chronology of Water.
