The Chronology of Water

Kristen Stewart’s feature-length directorial debut, “The Chronology of Water,” based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s 2011 memoir, conveys what it feels like, and Stewart’s approach reflects not only her passion for the often complex material but her understanding of it. Stewart gets it, every bit of it, the quality of Yuknavitch’s experimental confrontational prose, as well as the continuum Yuknavitch is in as a writer, the counter-cultural ground from which she sprung. In partnership with Imogen Poots, who gives an astonishing performance as Lidia, Stewart boldly evokes the source material. There’s a collage aspect to the image placement, but Stewart is not afraid to be direct. This project has been years in the making. Stewart adapted the material, and you can feel her love for it.