Kristen Stewart discusses her raw and challenging directorial debut, 'The Chronology of Water,' an experimental arthouse film adapted from Lidia Yuknavitch's memoir. Alongside star Imogen Poots and Thora Birch, Stewart delves into the film's difficult financing, its unapologetic exploration of female pain and desire, and the industry's bias against women's confessional stories.
This article provides an in-depth look at Kristen Stewart's directorial debut, 'The Chronology of Water,' an impressionistic and experimental arthouse film adapted from Lidia Yuknavitch's memoir. Stewart describes the film as something 'to be eaten alive and re-metabolised and shat out differently,' acknowledging its challenging nature and a Letterboxd review calling it 'The Chronology of what the fuck did I just watch?' Despite this, she is 'fucking proud' of its genuine quality. Stewart's passion for the project is evident; she felt nobody else could make the film after reading just 40 pages of the book, drawn to its physical, vital, and unearthing quality concerning female desire and vulnerability. Author Lidia Yuknavitch was equally impressed by Stewart's 'wildly exciting email,' recognizing her unique artistic vision. The film, starring Imogen Poots as Lidia, delves into themes of pain, loss, memory, and the reclamation of desire, touching on sex, drugs, violence, grief, stillbirth, and familial sexual abuse. Stewart and Poots highlight the difficulty in financing such a project, attributing it to the industry's tendency to belittle confessional literature and personal stories from women, reducing them to difficult-to-sell pitches about 'incest and rape.' It took eight years of development before filming in Latvia. Poots describes the film as a 'collection of fluids and fragments,' praising Stewart's loyalty in casting her despite it making financing harder. Stewart, in turn, calls Poots her 'favourite actor,' emphasizing their unique connection. The cast also includes Kim Gordon, Thora Birch (who plays Lidia's sister Claudia), and Jim Belushi. Stewart notes the unconventional set experience where male actors' roles were secondary, designed to service Poots's character. Thora Birch, who shares a history of child stardom with Stewart, praises Stewart's directing, calling her a 'spirit animal' and the film a 'punk rock arthouse movie that is like a non-psychedelic ayahuasca trip.' She believes the film is emblematic of a female experience that many are unwilling to dissect, commending Stewart for presenting such 'heavy shit' with a blend of fantasy, poeticism, and raw human experience. The article concludes with the film's UK release date on February 6.
