Latest news with #ChronologyOfWater
Vogue
17-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Vogue
Dispatch From Cannes: Kristen Stewart Makes Her Striking Feature Filmmaking Debut With The Chronology of Water
The Chronology of Water takes its haunting title from American author Lidia Yuknavitch's 2011 memoir. And yet, few films feel as deeply personal as this debut by Kristen Stewart, who emerges here as a natural filmmaker. Like many first-time features, references abound, whether deliberate or subconscious: You can't help but think of the faded hues of Sofia Coppola's The Virgin Suicides (Coppola is even thanked in the credits for her feedback), the urgent sound editing of Terrence Malick, or even the experimental rhythm of Jean-Luc Godard. But from its opening moments, The Chronology of Water reveals itself as a film that lingers long after the screen goes dark. With Imogen Poots in the lead role, Stewart adapts Yuknavitch's memoir to depict something raw and unsparing about the female experience—its violence, its trauma, its reckonings. The result is a harrowing, nearly overwhelming work, saved—and elevated—by the radical beauty of its direction. Voiceover narration in literary adaptations is often a shortcut—a way to mask a lack of cinematic imagination. Stewart takes this risky tack with The Chronology of Water, managing to transcend the cliché. From the first scene—flickering, almost stolen underwater footage—it's clear this is a film driven by a singular vision. Water, as the title suggests, is everywhere. It becomes a realm unto itself: a space where noise fades, and with it, pain. But it's the sound design that truly disorients. The rush of water, whispers, screams—you might think the theater's audio is too loud or poorly mixed. Not so: Every element is calibrated to create discomfort, pushing the audience to the edge of horror. Horror, after all, is at the heart of Yuknavitch's life story. Abused physically, verbally, and sexually by her violent father, the author recounts in her memoir a life shaped by trauma and constant escape—literal and figurative. Swimming, BDSM, drugs, writing—all were tools for survival, ways to erase memory. Stewart conveys this violence not through graphic imagery but through sound. Though blood appears to flow freely, mingling with the purity of water, brutality is never shown head-on. Instead, she lets imagination do the work, choosing soft hues and cutting away just before the breaking point. She pushes us to the brink—then pulls back. As Yuknavitch, Imogen Poots —often an understated presence in British cinema—delivers a career-defining performance. The camera often closing in on her so tightly, it feels like we're brushing against her skin, she is both searing and stripped bare. Her body becomes the film's narrative core—abused, observed, dissected, caressed, devoured. Over the course of more than two hours, it undergoes every imaginable transformation, dragging the audience into a deeply visceral, sensory experience.
Daily Mail
16-05-2025
- Entertainment
- Daily Mail
Newly-married Kristen Stewart, 35, puts on a leggy display in a sheer pink Chanel skirt as she attends The Chronology of Water photocall at Cannes Film Festival
Newly-married Kristen Stewart put on a leggy display in a sheer pink skirt as she attended The Chronology of Water photocall at Cannes Film Festival on Friday. The Twilight actress, 35, who is the director and writer of the film, tied the knot with screenwriter Dylan Meyer, 37, last month. She went braless for the outing as she stepped out in a pink tweed Chanel jacket, which was fastened at the top button and left open to showcase her toned midriff. Kristen paired her jacket with a pair of matching Chanel shorts which featured an ankle-length pink sheer tulle skirt. Adding inches to her frame, Kristen slipped into a pair of open-toed satin pink heels. To accessorise, Kirsten wore an intricate square diamond choker necklace and a large diamond ring. Kristen completed for her glitzy ensemble with a natural makeup look as she tied her blonde locks, which featured pink ends, into a high bun. The synopsis of the film reads: 'An Olympic swimming hopeful flees her abusive home via a Texas scholarship. 'After losing her property to addiction, she studies under Kesey in Oregon. Through writing, family, and self-discovery, she overcomes her troubled past.' Kristen's outing comes after footage of Stewart delivering her heartfelt vows during her casual wedding ceremony began circulating online. While the A-list actress is no stranger to performing in front of crowds, Kristen was clearly brimming with nervous enthusiasm as she read her vows off a piece of paper. Her heartfelt words were momentarily interrupted as she fumbled to adjust her microphone, sparking some laughter from the crowd and lightening the already sweet moment. At one point, Kristen sweetly took Dylan's hands into her grasp. Dylan also read her vows off a piece of paper, and Kristen appeared moved by her words as she rubbed her eyes. Friends and family gathered around the couple but gave them some space as they watched the ceremony unfold with their phones capturing the scene. For their nuptials, the couple opted for an edgy twist on their bridal wear, with Dylan sporting a sheer top and silky taupe skirt while Kristen wore a taupe set combined with a white T-shirt. Although Kristen and Dylan reportedly met back in 2013 on a movie set, the Hollywood figures didn't become an item until years later in August of 2019. This year's Cannes Film Festival is taking place in the wake of Trump´s vow to enact tariffs on international films. Cannes, where filmmakers, sales agents and journalists gather from around the world, is the Olympics of the big screen, with its own golden prize, the Palme d´Or, to give out at the end. Filmmakers come from nearly every corner of the globe to showcase their films while dealmakers work through the night to sell finished films or packaged productions to various territories. 'You release a film into that Colosseum-like situation,' says Brazilian director Kleber Mendonça Filho, who´s returning to Cannes with 'The Secret Agent, a thriller set during Brazil ´s dictatorship. 'You´ve got to really prepare for the whole experience because it´s quite intense - not very far from the feeling of approaching a roller coaster as you go up the steps at the Palais.' Trump sent shock waves through Hollywood and the international film community when he announced on May 4 that all movies 'produced in Foreign Lands' will face 100% tariffs. The White House has said no final decisions have been made. Options being explored include federal incentives for U.S.-based productions, rather than tariffs. But the announcement was a reminder of how international tensions can destabilize even the oldest cultural institutions. The Cannes Film Festival originally emerged in the World War II years, when the rise of fascism in Italy led to the founding of an alternative to the then-government controlled Venice Film Festival. In the time since, Cannes´ resolute commitment to cinema has made it a beacon to filmmakers. Countless directors have come to make their name. This year is no different, though some of the first-time filmmakers at Cannes are already particularly well-known. Scarlett Johansson (Eleanor the Great) and Harris Dickinson (Urchin) will all be unveiling their feature directorial debuts in Cannes´ Un Certain Regard sidebar section. Meanwhile Scarlett's directorial debut Eleanor The Great, will be unveiled on May 20. Over recent years the star-studded extravaganza has arguably won more attention for the outfits worn by its celebrity guests than the roster of feature films being screened on the Croisette. But new nudity rules, devised for 'the sake of decency,' have been implemented at this year's festival. According to organisers, the austere move is an attempt to stifle the celebrity trend for 'naked dresses' - namely provocative outfits that reveal considerably more than they conceal - on the red carpet. 'For decency reasons, nudity is prohibited on the red carpet, as well as any other area of the festival,' states a Cannes festival document. 'The festival welcoming teams will be obligated to prohibit red carpet access to anyone not respecting these rules.' The surprise new policy features in a recent festival-goers charter - released with a series of outlines regarding expected public behaviour. Classic little black dresses, cocktail dresses, pant-suits, dressy tops and elegant sandals, 'with or without a heel', will also be permitted. While the decision to implement a more stringent policy will be a first, it is not known if French TV broadcasters, wary of airing nudity, played a role in its enforcement. Major red carpet events, including the Cannes Film Festival, are aired in France by France Télévisions Recently attracting more models and influencers than actors and filmmakers, the annual ceremony has seen an increase in risque red carpet fashion statements. In 2021, American supermodel Bella Hadid bared her cleavage in a plunging black gown while attending a screening of Tre Piani (Three Floors). She pulled a similar stunt three years later, with guests at the 2024 gala left speechless after she attended the premiere of Donald Trump biopic The Apprentice completely braless beneath a sheer brown evening dress.
