A religious awakening is coming to theaters this Christmas, courtesy of Amanda Seyfried and the creative team behind The Brutalist. Directed by Brutalist co-writer Mona Fastvold and co-written by Brady Corbet, The Testament Of Ann Lee brings the legend of Ann Lee, the 18th-century founder of the Shaker religious sect, to large-format screens. As in The Brutalist, Fastvold is making sure those 70mm frames are filled with period details, human fervor, and massive boats.
Here’s the synopsis:
From award-winning writer-director Mona Fastvold (The World to Come, The Brutalist) comes the extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers. Academy Award nominee Amanda Seyfried stars as the Shaker’s irrepressible leader, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers. The Testament of Ann Lee captures the ecstasy and agony of her quest to build a utopia, featuring more than a dozen traditional Shaker hymns reimagined as rapturous movements with choreography by Celia Rowlson-Hall (Vox Lux) and original songs & score by Academy Award winner Daniel Blumberg (The Brutalist).
True to their name, the Shakers were known for their “shaking,” which saw Lee and her followers vibrating and dancing. But it also provided some external release and expression of their egalitarian beliefs, celibate lifestyle, and gender equality, all of which fueled their quick rise and explosion. Though there’s always hope for a revival. In August, NPR reported that the Shakers have a new congregant, bringing their numbers up to three.
Ann Lee arrives in theaters with The Brutalist pedigree and an impressive cast. Joining Seyfried at church are Thomasin Mckenzie, Lewis Pullman, Stacy Martin, Matthew Beard, Scott Handy, Viola Prettejohn, Jamie Bogyo, David Cale, Tim Blake Nelson, and Christopher Abbott.
The Testament Of Ann Lee opens on December 25.
