In 2018 on the Cannes Movie Competition, Kristen Stewart joined Ava DuVernay, Agnes Varda, Jane Fonda and over 80 different ladies in a protest on the steps of the Palais to attract consideration to the shortage of feminine administrators programmed within the line-up. That yr, solely three out of the 21 competitors movies had been directed by ladies.
Seven years later, Stewart is again on the pageant along with her directorial debut The Chronology of Water, however the journey was not a straightforward one. “We needed to go away the US to make this potential,” mentioned Stewart of attempting to get the movie financed.
Stewart was available for a Could 16 dialog with Chronolgy actor and musician Kim Gordon at Hyde Seashore by Campari held by Breaking By way of Lens. The non-profit group is targeted on serving to any filmmakers who expertise marginalization on account of their gender get their tasks financed. On the occasion, Simbelle Productions founder Lauren Melinda introduced the Simbelle Impression Award, a $10,000 unrestricted grant given to 1 finalist of the following Breaking By way of Lens grant cycle whose challenge exemplifies social impression and inventive readability.
Regardless of being certainly one of Hollywood’s greatest stars, Stewart needed to go to Europe to get Chronology made. Primarily based on Lidia Yuknavitch’s 2011 memoir of the identical title, the movie follows a once-hopeful Olympic swimmer as she loses her scholarship and battles habit whereas discovering her personal sexuality and love of literature.
Stewart knew she was not proper to play Yuknavitch, however her selecting to not star within the debut made discovering cash all of the harder. “The listing of men and women [actors] that may finance a film within the leisure trade are so past me. They modify so rapidly and I don’t perceive them in any respect,” she mentioned. Finally, Stewart forged Imogen Poots within the movie.
Stewart spoke simply hours earlier than the movie’s Could 16 premiere within the Un Sure Regard part at this yr’s Cannes. This yr’s fest options seven movies directed by ladies in its twenty-two-film competitors line-up, nowhere close to parity.
As for her future directing ambitions, Stewart mentioned, “I might like to [act] in one thing I direct, and I’ll do it quickly, I hope.” However, for now, she is blissful to lastly see Chronology display screen in entrance of an viewers: “I really feel like I’m watching my child in kindergarten like, ‘Take a look at her go!’”