For four minutes, people stood ovated during the opening of Kristen Stewart’s first movie as a director, “The Chronology of Water” at the Cannes Film Festival on Friday night. Many people in the crowd were wiping their eyes.

Stewart’s version of Lidia Yuknavitch’s memoir of the same name had a great performance by Imogen Poots, but what really stood out was Stewart’s directorial style, which was raw, artistic, and unflinching.

Long in the making, the passion project had its world premiere in the festival’s Un Certain Regard sidebar. This year, other stars like Scarlett Johansson (“Eleanor the Great”) and Harris Dickinson (“Urchin”) also made their debuts in this section.

“The Chronology of Water” is based on the best-selling book of the same name by Lidia Yuknavitch, which came out in 2011. Stewart’s non-linear account of Yuknavitch’s life includes glimpses of her earliest childhood memories growing up in the Pacific Northwest, as well as her work highs and lows and her unhealthy relationships. Imogen Poots plays the writer in the film. Stewart not only directed the movie, but he also wrote the script with Andy Mingo.

Stewart has wanted to make this movie for a long time; he first said in 2018 that he was working on it. In her January 2024 cover story for Variety, Stewart said that she had been having a hard time getting the money for the movie and that she would not be in another movie until “The Chronology of Water” was finished. In the summer of 2024, when the movie was made for six weeks in Latvia and Malta, she was able to do just that. Thora Birch, Earl Cave, Michael Epp, Susannah Flood, Kim Gordon, and Jim Belushi are also in the movie.

Stewart was honest with Variety about how hard it was for her to get the movie funded. She said it was “nearly impossible” to get people to pay for a movie based on a new idea rather than an existing IP or theme.

“I think there’s an entire, yet-to-be-written female language,” he said. “The way I want to make films is very physical, which I think will make them very unappealing to quote-unquote “buyers,” but it will be very moving to see in action.” It’s not been easy to sell that. It’s not about the story. When someone self-harms, it’s important to understand why they’ve stifled their own voice their whole life.

In April, Variety talked to Stewart about the rumours that her movie would be shown for the first time at Cannes. The director said she had to hurry to finish post-production so that the film could be shown at the event.

“Well, at this point, it’s a matter of timing.” “The movie is like a crown,” she said. “It’s one of those stories you hear: every filmmaker I want to work with has missed the date for leaving for the Cannes Film Festival. I’m not sure yet if I’ll be there, but I might. Even though I might not be, the movie feels like it’s about to become itself, which is really nice. This is such a huge relief. It’s taken a long time. It’s like having a child.

From Cannes, “The Chronology of Water” is looking for a home.