Kristen Stewart's feature directorial debut, 'The Chronology of Water', brings Lidia Yuknavitch’s powerful memoir to the screen, creating a collage-like and emotionally raw film. Imogen Poots delivers a heartbreakingly beautiful and raw performance as Lidia, portraying a woman who discovers her voice and finds healing through art, navigating a journey from an abusive childhood through love and loss, and transforming trauma into writing and survival. Stewart, who also penned the screenplay, meticulously guides Lidia (Poots) as she explores her sexuality, pushes the boundaries of addiction, and ultimately finds a less destructive means of self-expression by turning her inner struggles into art after her dreams of competitive swimming are derailed.

Imogen Poots was deeply drawn to 'The Chronology of Water' primarily due to the unique and profoundly emotionally intelligent writing. Upon receiving the script and learning of Kristen Stewart's involvement as director, Poots was compelled to create an audition tape, recognizing the material's distinctive nature. She noted that Stewart’s choice to adapt such complex material for her first feature made complete sense given her artistic sensibilities. Poots described the script's 'fabric' as deeply compelling, immediately sensing that a filmmaker choosing such a project would possess a unique perspective and commitment to pulling it off, calling Stewart a 'unique, standalone artist'.

Regarding the script's evolution, Poots explained that while she read Lidia Yuknavitch's book multiple times and worked through the screenplay, a significant amount of shot footage did not make it into the final film. This was largely because film operates as a different medium than a book. She noted that the memoir itself is quite elliptical and repetitive, leading to instances where certain visual storytelling elements were not necessary. However, the core essence of Stewart's vision, which she described as a 'scrapbook or a collage of a life', carried through, resulting in complementary art pieces that tell the same story without drastic changes from Poots' initial hopes and dreams for the film.

The experience of seeing the final film for the first time was incredibly intense for Poots. She cared deeply about the project for both herself and Stewart, acknowledging that they were 'carrying each other’s stuff'. Watching the film at Cannes alongside Stewart, in an auditorium, was a profound and emotional event. Despite the challenge of watching herself, Poots expressed awe for the movie, believing Stewart had created something truly spectacular. She found the emotional stakes to be exceptionally high, an aspect that initially 'scared' her, meaning she intensely desired to 'get it right'.

Poots embraced the challenges of the production, stating that 'every day was hard' and presented trials to overcome, which she attributes to the nature of making independent films. She emphasized her preference for such challenges over 'sleepwalking through a day at work,' underscoring the deep importance and personal investment both she and Stewart had in the project. Poots expressed her desire to always be 'charged by stuff' and to live a non-passive life, indicating her passion for meaningful and demanding artistic endeavors.

During the demanding production of 'The Chronology of Water', Kristen Stewart proved to be an invaluable grounding force for Imogen Poots. Poots described the entire project as a