Kristen Stewart weaves compelling, watery tale in directorial debut

Critic Emma Jones reviews this week’s major releases, including Kristen Stewart’s directorial debut, “The Chronology of Water”, and the Japanese drama “A Pale View of Hills”. Director Myriam El Hajj offers a compelling portrait of a society in turmoil in her latest documentary, “Diaries from Lebanon”, following Georges, Joumana, and Perla Joe. The film exposes Lebanon’s simmering tensions amid economic, political, and humanitarian crises. El Hajj shares the challenges of filmmaking in Lebanon in recent years and how her subjects inspired the energy and optimism to complete the project.