Kristen Stewart's feature debut adapts The Chronology of Water at Cannes

Kristen Stewart directed a feature adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch's memoir The Chronology of Water, which premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025.

Kristen Stewart has directed a feature adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch's memoir The Chronology of Water. The film translates the book's non-linear structure into an impressionistic, formally experimental work. It addresses Yuknavitch's reported experiences of abuse, addiction and loss while emphasising memory and the materiality of film. The Chronology of Water had its world premiere in the Un Certain Regard section at the Cannes Film Festival in 2025. Key details: - Stewart acquired the rights to the book in the mid-2010s and previously directed the short film Come Swim. - The film premiered in the Un Certain Regard section at Cannes in 2025. - Imogen Poots plays Lidia; the cast also includes Thora Birch, Jim Belushi, Michael Epp and Kim Gordon, as reported. - Cinematographer Corey C. Waters shot the film on 16mm, and Olivia Neergaard-Holm handled the editing. - The adaptation preserves the book's chaptered, watery structure and uses non-linear editing and analogue film textures. Summary: The Chronology of Water is a formally ambitious, impressionistic adaptation that foregrounds memory and bodily experience. Its style can feel abrasive and intentionally fragmentary as it prioritizes form over linear narration. Wider release plans beyond the Cannes premiere are undetermined at this time.