Interview with Vanity Fair France for 'The Chronology of Water' at the Cannes Film Festival

 

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Vanity Fair. How did you experience the premiere screening and the standing ovation?

Kristen Stewart . It's funny to say this, but I've had several standing ovations in my life. Whenever the camera pans to the actors, I always think, "Oh my God, go to the director! I didn't have much to do with this." I have a hard time owning that space, and I always have a lot of respect for the director. This time, I did the opposite, redirecting the focus to my actress, Imogen Poots . She brought her whole being into our film. The plot could be summed up on the surface of her skin. I could literally cry thinking about her.

You were the first person to hug Thierry Frémaux…

I jumped on him (laughs). At the same time, he was standing right there, it was a bit of an invitation. The enthusiasm of the Americans may or may not hit the mark, but I think the moment was right for it.

The Chronology of Water was originally an autobiography by Lidia Yuknavitch. Why do you recommend discovering her work?

Read her short stories. The words this woman wrote in her youth are reassuring, but also strikingly violent. Her fiction, especially the more bizarre and recent ones, are full of intuition, as if she knew things we didn't. She helped so many people find their own voice, but she also lifted the veil on taboo subjects that are omnipresent in our lives. You read her novels and it's as if they were written on tissue paper that has been bitten, spat on, drenched in blood and tears, but where the words still shine through. She is a great artist.

What was the first image that came to mind when you read the book?

There are two quotes that stood out to me: "I became water" and "Can you hold life and death in the same sentence?" Neither of them is in the film, because it already expresses these ideas through the images and a kind of cumulative experience. But visually, I would say a motif of water full of foam. I needed Imogen Poots to play the character because she has these blue eyes, this voluptuous body, this openness. But she's also a shark: she's very focused and incredibly intelligent. You can't hire an actor to play a writer unless they have a literary mind somewhere. The first time I read the book, I was in the shower with the character, bleeding. I wanted that blood to have pebbles and stick to the tiles so there would be absolutely no doubt about its origin.

There was already this water motif in your short film Come Swim . Where did this obsession come from?

It's a complete coincidence. I hadn't read The Chronology of Water when I made Come Swim . The short film is about the idea of ​​accepting that you're floating, letting yourself go, not fighting tooth and nail to keep your head above water. Personally, I hate water, I don't like swimming, I even wear Doc Martens on the beach. I probably need to swim and let myself go a little more. Maybe that's why I was drawn to this theme.

Lidia Yuknavitch gave a Ted Talk about the beauty of being an outsider. Do you think you're an outsider in Hollywood , or do you like outsiders?

I've always liked outsiders. It often feels like only certain people are allowed to take up space. That idea is violently patriarchal. My film loves men as much as women. It's a feminist feature, but it also celebrates the beauty of our relationships. And the importance of being seen by the right person. Even if your dad is an asshole, you want him to tell you he's proud of you. You have to learn to look at yourself, to be honest with yourself. It's a little scary; it's like having a target on your forehead. But it's necessary, or we risk denying our own lives and ceasing to exist.

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