Kristen Stewart reveals gruelling toll of directorial debut that lasted six months

Kristen Stewart has opened up about the intense, but rewarding, experience of filming her directorial debut, The Chronology of Water.

The new movie, starring Imogen Poots in the lead role, is based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s 2011 memoir, which recounts her experiences of sexual abuse and addiction within wider themes of love, loss, and grief.

As portrayed on screen, the fragmented tale focuses on Yuknavitch’s liberation through writing as she moves through adulthood and processes her life experiences.

For the 35-year-old actor, this movie has been a long time coming, and she remained determined for it to be the first film she directs despite all the challenges.

She spoke to Metro at the premiere of the feature at the BFI London Film Festival, reflecting on the highs and lows of her journey as a first-time director.

‘I don’t think I slept for, like, six months. This movie was ceasered in half. The body of this film was Imogen’s body, mind, and soul, so always under siege.

‘I think maybe I just learned that we can do anything. It sounds a little dramatic and a little self-aggrandising but [if] this didn’t kill me, I guess nothing could. I would literally protect this movie with my claws and my teeth,’ she said.

Discussing how her time as an actor influenced her approach to directing, she added that she learnt to ‘just give people room’.

‘I’m a little honey badger, I’m such a little Aries control freak, up everyone’s… You know.

‘And the best direction I’ve ever gotten is always non-verbal. It’s always a look where you go, oh man, we are together in this space, and we are sharing these emotions, and they are contagious.

‘So anytime I was trying to over-intellectualise something or express an idea, it was like: “It’s really not about that. Be present. Get out of their way.”

‘We hired such good actors, they were so incredible, I just honestly had fun following them around, watching them dig up my little treasures.’

The Twilight star’s directorial vision and steady hand were praised by Poots, 36, who shared her experience exploring such heavy topics to do with incest, stillbirth, and abuse, while filming on set.

‘Safety is funny with this kind of thing because you kind of just have to go all out, and I think we just trusted each other implicitly, and there was such an understanding of what we were there trying to achieve.

‘People talk about bravery with this type of material, but this is what it is to be human.

‘You want to try your best to portray that and get that across and get as close to it as you possibly can. Once we all met each other, we were like “we’re in”, there was no safety required, it was just held.’

Later, adding that Kristen had had ‘such a huge impact’ on her as a persona and an artist with ‘what she’s managed to achieve’. ‘Her career is astounding, and the way she treats people and her priorities are [great].’

The 28 Years Later star is, of course, portraying a real-life person, and described Lidia as ‘such a profoundly intriguing woman’, adding that she has read all of her published writing.

‘She’s so inspiring and really was incredible with Kristen. She wanted Kristen to just go and make the film she wanted to make. So there was pressure, but I think it was very important to Kristen that we were taking that story and… translating it into our own girl,’ she continued.

Hoping that the movie can relate to women everywhere in some way, Poots also revealed on the red carpet that she learnt how to swim to a high level for the role, given her character is a competitive swimmer.

The Chronology of Water premiered at the BFI London Film Festival on October 16. It currently has no UK release date.

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