Kristen Stewart brings short film (and hair) to Cannes Film Festival

Kristen Stewart doesn't want to talk about her new movie.

No, seriously.  The Personal Shopper star made a brief appearance at Cannes Film Festival on Saturday afternoon for her 17-minute short Come Swim, which she directed and wrote. But when she made her way onstage to introduce the film, which premiered at Sundance in January, Stewart was visibly anxious and amusingly brief in front of the enthusiastic young crowd.

"I'm fully allowed to be like, 'It speaks for itself! I don't have to do anything,' " Stewart said. "But thank you for letting me be here. I'm on the floor. I can't believe it."

Asked if she wanted to say more, Stewart shrugged, "That's it. Let's watch the movie," running her hands through her short, platinum-blond hair before she exited the stage. She was similarly fidgety and smiling when she left the theater afterward, as festival-goers swarmed around her snapping photos on their smartphones.

Watching Come Swim, it's understandable why Stewart didn't feel the need to explain it at length. According to a description on the festival's website, the experimental film is "a diptych (hinged, two-leaf painting) of a man's day; portraits both impressionistic and realistic." Images of said man (newcomer Josh Kaye) submerged in the ocean and chugging bottles of water flood the movie's first half, as he wrestles with emotional pain over what is presumably a breakup. (A woman, voiced by Stewart, cryptically talks to him throughout.) After a particularly unsettling sequence in which the parched man's body slowly deteriorates, he returns to swim in the water — this time, appearing confident and hopeful.

Although Come Swim is best left up to viewers' own interpretations, Stewart's visceral storytelling and striking images show immense promise. She's since directed a performance video for Scottish synth-pop band Chvrches and teased another short film about gun control.

The versatile young actress was recently spotted looking battered and bloody on the set of her disaster drama Underwater, but cleaned up nicely for the Palais des Festival red carpet. She dazzled in a silver Chanel dress at the premiere of AIDS drama 120 Beats Per Minute.

Stay cool, K-Stew.