Kristen Stewart Debuts Directing at 2025 Cannes Film Festival

Kristen Stewart is making her directorial debut with the film adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch's memoir, The Chronology of Water, which premiered at the 2025 Cannes Film Festival. Despite the film being incomplete and described by Stewart as a "first draft" with post-production still needed, she welcomed the vulnerability and imperfections, hoping the film would "crash and burn, but in a way that feels correct." The movie follows a young woman's journey of self-discovery and triumph through writing and swimming, reflecting the memoir's themes of trauma transformed into art. Stewart, a seasoned actress known for Twilight and Spencer, has long aspired to direct and expressed that this project was a labor of love and a necessary artistic step at this time. She embraced the challenge of presenting an imperfect work at Cannes, appreciating the rawness and honesty of the filmmaking process. Stewart also highlighted the difficult state of the film industry, urging vigilance among creatives while committing deeply to telling Yuknavitch's story with a cast including Imogen Poots and Earl Cave.