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Kristen Stewart is speaking out against the barriers that exist when it comes to directing films, calling it a “bullshit fallacy” that you need “experience or technical adeptness” in order to do the job. Stewart is at Cannes Film Festival with her feature directorial debut, “The Chronology of Water,” which premieres in the Un Certain Regard section on Friday night.
Before the premiere, Stewart participated in a fireside chat for the nonprofit Breaking Through the Lens —moderated by Variety‘s Angelique Jackson — alongside Sonic Youth legend Kim Gordon, who also has a role in “The Chronology of Water.” Breaking Through the Lens advocates for gender equality in film by providing critical support during the financing stage.
“There’s this bullshit fallacy that you need to have experience or sort of like technical adeptness, and it’s safeguarding the business. It’s a real male perspective,” Stewart said during the conversation. “Like, as if it’s this difficult thing to do. Anyone can make a movie if they have something to say.”
Stewart, who has been open about her struggles to get “The Chronology of Water” financed, said the most difficult thing about making films is finding funding and “having the commitment, because it’s a long-term investment time-wise.” Stewart noted that she “promptly evaded America, that son of a bitch” to make her movie, which was filmed in Latvia and Malta.
“But there’s no amount of learning or skill, like that’s just crap,” she continued. “If you can just feel allowed to communicate and therefore get in touch with something that wants to come out, a film will come out of you. It shouldn’t have taken so long … And I can’t wait for the next one.”
“The Chronology of Water” is a biographical drama based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir of the same name. Imogen Poots stars as Yuknavitch over four decades as she “finds her voice through the written word and her salvation as a swimmer – ultimately becoming a triumphant teacher, mother and a singular modern writer,” according to the film’s synopsis.
When asked about casting Poots in the lead role instead of herself, Stewart said that she “would love to be in a movie that I directed and I will be soon,” but that she was ultimately “not right for the part.”
“Everyone’s like, ‘Why didn’t you do it and what about [Poots], why?’ She doesn’t have like big tits or anything, but she seems like she does,” Stewart said, eliciting a huge laugh from the room. “She has big tit energy. It’s like big dick energy — she has BTE. I was like, I just feel like you have these big tits and you just have to play this part.”
Gordon also spoke about her experience working with Stewart as a director, saying that she “sort of spoke to the musician in me.”
“Like she said, ‘Say it from this part of your body’ and I totally knew what she meant,” Gordon said. “The movie itself is so epically physical, like Imogen’s body is the movie. And then the editing is so fluid.”
At one point, Stewart got choked up thinking about a specific part in then film where Gordon’s character tells Poots’ Lidia that she’s proud of her. “When she says ‘I am proud of you’ to our girl, I mean like it kills me,” Stewart said. “And so I needed somebody that I wanted to hear that from, say it.” As the crowd reacted in a chorus of “aw”s, Gordon patted Stewart on the back supportively.
In addition to Gordon’s presence, the music that plays in the film is also an important aspect. Stewart said she personally wrote Fiona Apple a letter to be able to use two of her songs in the movie. Recalling her nerves over reaching out, Stewart said, “My hands are shaking!” before adding: “It worked and she wrote me a letter back.”
Stewart also shared that Sofia Coppola and Rose Glass, who are thanked at the end of the film, gave her notes on the script. “It’s really hard to read other people’s scripts, people are busy and this was definitely not a traditional read,” she said. “And they’re both filmmakers that I covet. They listened when it was really hard to get people to listen.”
Reflecting on the advice she’d give to other women filmmakers, Stewart urged the audience to never stop asking “why.”
“If anyone’s ever like, ‘Oh, we do it this way. This is just the way we do it’ — why? And I’m not saying like, ‘No. I want to do everything how I want!’ It’s not about that. It’s about understanding why we’re doing what we’re doing instead of just accepting procedure,” she said. “Like, you want to make the same movie over and over? Stop asking why. And dude, fucking people lie to you! I cannot tell you the amount of bullshit deadlines. ‘Oh, you have to get that done by tomorrow.’ I’m like, ‘Mhm.'”
As for getting “The Chronology of Water” into Cannes, Stewart admitted “we’re like, barely here right now.”
“I slipped this under a closed door, like I can’t believe it,” she said. “It’s a super vulnerable experience, but I really wouldn’t design it any other way.”
English (US) ·