# The Chronology of Water {#the-chronology-of-water .reader-title}
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8--11 minutes
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+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| The Chronology of Water | |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| {file-width="260" | |
| file-height="390" height="375" | |
| width="250"} | |
| | |
| Theatrical release poster | |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Directed by | Kristen Stewart |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Screenplay by | Kristen Stewart |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Based on | *The Chronology of Water*\ |
| | by Lidia Yuknavitch |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Produced by | <div> |
| | |
| | - Michael Pruss |
| | - Rebecca Feuer |
| | - Charles Gillibert |
| | - Yulia Zayceva |
| | - Max Pavlov |
| | - Svetlana Punte |
| | - Maggie McLean |
| | - Kristen Stewart |
| | - Dylan Meyer |
| | |
| | </div> |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Starring | <div> |
| | |
| | - Imogen Poots |
| | - Thora Birch |
| | - Susannah Flood |
| | - Tom Sturridge |
| | - Kim Gordon |
| | - Michael Epp |
| | - Earl Cave |
| | - Esmé Creed-Miles |
| | - Jim Belushi |
| | |
| | </div> |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Cinematography | Corey C. Waters |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Edited by | Olivia Neergaard-Holm |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Music by | Paris Hurley |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Production\ | <div> |
| companies | |
| | - Scott Free Productions |
| | - CG Cinéma |
| | - Nevermind Pictures |
| | - Forma Pro Films |
| | - Curious Gremlin |
| | - Fremantle |
| | - Whiz Movies |
| | - Lorem Ipsum Entertainment |
| | - Scala Films |
| | |
| | </div> |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Distributed by | <div> |
| | |
| | - Les Films du Losange (France) |
| | - The Forge (United States) |
| | - British Film Institute |
| | (United Kingdom) |
| | |
| | </div> |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Release dates | <div> |
| | |
| | - May 16, 2025 (Cannes) |
| | - December 5, 2025 (United |
| | States) |
| | - February 6, 2026 (United |
| | Kingdom) |
| | |
| | </div> |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Running time | 128 minutes^\[1\]^ |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Countries | <div> |
| | |
| | - France |
| | - Latvia |
| | - United Kingdom |
| | - United States |
| | |
| | </div> |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Language | English |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
| Box office | \$362,839^\[2\]^ |
+-----------------------------------+-----------------------------------+
'*The Chronology of Water'* is a 2025 biographical psychological drama
film 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. 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* premiered in the [*Un Certain
Regard*]{title="French-language text"} section of the 2025 Cannes Film
Festival on May 16, 2025. The film received positive reviews from
critics.
A young woman finds her voice through the written word and her salvation
as a swimmer -- ultimately becoming a triumphant teacher, mother and a
singular modern writer.
- Imogen Poots as Lidia Yuknavitch^\[3\]^
- Anna Wittowsky as Kid Lidia
- Angelika Mihailova --- Lidia (child)^\[4\]^
- Thora Birch as Claudia
- Susannah Flood as Dorothy
- Tom Sturridge as Devin
- Kim Gordon as Photographer
- Michael Epp as Mike
- Earl Cave as Phillip
- Esmé Creed-Miles as Claire
- Jim Belushi as Ken Kesey
- Julienne Restall as Junkie Woman
- Charlie Carrick as Andy Mingo
- Eleanor Hahn as Carol Houck Smith
- Esmé Allen as Hannah
It was announced in November 2022 that Kristen Stewart was set to make
her feature directorial debut with an adaptation of Lidia Yuknavitch\'s
memoir *The Chronology of Water*, directing from a screenplay she
co-wrote with Andy Mingo, while Imogen Poots was attached to star. Scott
Free Productions is financing the project with Ridley Scott, Michael
Pruss and Mingo serving as producers, and Scott Aharoni, Sinan
Eczacibasi, Metin Alihan Yalcindag and Rebecca Feuer serving as
executive producers.^\[5\]^ In September 2024, it was announced Thora
Birch, Earl Cave, Michael Epp, Susannah Flood, Kim Gordon and Jim
Belushi had joined the cast of the film.^\[6\]^
Principal photography took place in Latvia and Malta over six weeks in
June and July 2024.^\[7\]^
{.moz-reader-block-img
file-width="4032" file-height="3024" height="188" width="250"}
*The Chronology of Water* had its world premiere at the 2025 Cannes Film
Festival on May 16, 2025, and received a six and a half minute standing
ovation.^\[8\]\[9\]^ In August 2025, The Forge acquired the distribution
rights to the film in the United States, releasing in limited theaters
on December 5, 2025, before expanding to a wider release on January 9,
2026.^\[10\]^ British Film Institute will release the film in the United
Kingdom and Ireland on February 6, 2026.^\[11\]^
On the review aggregator website Rotten Tomatoes, 91% of 74 critics\'
reviews are positive. The website\'s consensus reads: \"Navigating a
journey of emotional healing with impressive fluidity, Kristen
Stewart\'s feature directorial debut is ably shouldered by Imogen
Poots\' bracingly naturalistic performance.\"^\[12\]^ Metacritic, which
uses a weighted average, assigned the film a score of 78 out of 100,
based on 26 critics, indicating \"generally favorable\" reviews.^\[13\]^
M. Sellers Johnson of Offscreen lauded the film as a highlight of the
2025 Cannes Film Festival writing, \"Stewart's blistering debut will
surely prompt divisive discourse on its aggressive art film aesthetics,
challenging violent and sexual material, and close lens on the topic of
trauma. But for all its experiments and deliberate provocations, the
film finds itself grounded in deep, personal meaning.\"^\[14\]^
Umnia El-Neil of Obscurae praised the film's refusal to portray Lidia
Yuknavitch as a "Perfect Victim," noting its seamless navigation through
fragmented memories and powerful performances from Imogen Poots and Jim
Belushi.^\[15\]^ Tim Grierson of Screen Daily highlighted the film's
intimate 16mm aesthetics and Poots' raw portrayal, while noting that its
persistent tone of pain can at times feel repetitive, despite Stewart's
strong directorial instincts and a resonant, hopeful conclusion.^\[16\]^
Pavel Snapkou of Showbiz by PS offered a more mixed assessment,
acknowledging the film's emotional intensity and stylistic ambition
while pointing out its uneven pacing.^\[17\]^
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