The Chronology of Water – Watch Imogen Poots in the trailer for Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut

The Chronology of Water was written for the screen, co-produced, and directed by Kristen Stewart in her feature film directorial debut, based on the 2011 book of the same name by Lidia Yuknavitch.

THE CHRONOLOGY OF WATER is a raw and unflinching portrait of survival, sexuality, and self-invention. The film traces Lidia’s life from her earliest memories in the Pacific Northwest, as a promising swimmer, through fractured relationships, near-motherhood, addiction, and encounters with artistic heroes. Told as a fluid memory wash, the story transforms trauma into art, embodying Yuknavitch’s defiant voice that made her work a modern cult classic. It is not only a chronicle of a woman becoming a writer, but a visceral journey through the wreckage and resilience of a life lived against the grain.

It stars Imogen Poots as Yuknavitch, along with Thora Birch, Susannah Flood, Tom Sturridge, Kim Gordon, Michael Epp, Earl Cave, Esmé Creed-Miles, and Jim Belushi in supporting roles. Ridley Scott is an executive producer on the film.

The Chronology of Water had its premiere in the Un Certain Regard section of the 2025 Cannes Film Festival on May 16, 2025.

The film will have a limited US release on December 5, 2025, before going for a wider release on January 9, 2026.