VENICE (TASSAWAR NEWS) – Hollywood star Amanda Seyfried delivered one of the most memorable moments of the Venice International Film Festival when her new film, The Testament of Ann Lee, premiered to extraordinary acclaim.
The historical musical drama, directed by Mona Fastvold, debuted on September 1 and received a thunderous 15-minute standing ovation — the longest of this year’s festival so far, even surpassing the 13 minutes of applause for Guillermo del Toro’s Frankenstein.
A video captured inside the theater showed Seyfried, 39, wiping away tears as she stood alongside Fastvold and her co-stars, visibly moved by the overwhelming outpouring of appreciation.
The festival describes the movie as “an epic fable” inspired by the life of Ann Lee, the 18th-century founder of the Shakers — a radical religious group known for worship through ecstatic song, trembling, and expressive movement. Fastvold explained that the project is a “speculative retelling” of Lee’s journey as one of the rare female religious leaders of her time.
Speaking at a press conference before the premiere, Seyfried shared how liberating the role felt compared to her past work.
“This was an opportunity without boundaries,” she said. “I simply followed Mona’s vision — there was total freedom, and the challenge was to push myself as far as possible. I’ve never been given that space before.”
The film also features an impressive ensemble, including Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Stacy Martin, Tim Blake Nelson, Christopher Abbott, Matthew Beard, Scott Handy, Jamie Bogyo, Viola Prettejohn, and David Cale.
While The Testament of Ann Lee is already generating strong festival buzz, its worldwide release date has yet to be announced. The Venice Film Festival continues until September 6.
