Shaker Founder's Biopic Captivates Audiences Worldwide

The U.K. has submitted the film 'The Testament of Ann Lee' for the International Feature Film race at the upcoming Oscars. The biopic, directed by Mona Fastvold and starring Amanda Seyfried as the founder of the Shaker religious movement, has been generating significant buzz after receiving a 15-minute standing ovation at its premiere in Venice last month.

The film follows Ann Lee's journey from 18th century England to a new life in America with her growing band of Shaker believers. While not quite a musical, the movie features the Shakers' frenzied singing and dancing, which proved to be a challenging but transformative experience for the cast. Actress Viola Prettlejohn, who plays Lee's niece Nancy, describes the film as a "multi-sensory experience" that left her and her co-stars emotionally overwhelmed.

Prettlejohn, best known for her role in 'The Crown', explains that the intimate and vulnerable nature of the performances required a great deal of trust among the ensemble. The choreography, created by Celia Rowlson-Hall, was particularly demanding, as it aimed to capture the unpredictable energy and religious fervor of the Shakers. The cast also had to learn to sing and improvise in a way that was entirely new to them, further adding to the immersive quality of the film.

With its Christmas Day release date, 'The Testament of Ann Lee' is poised to captivate audiences worldwide and potentially earn recognition at the upcoming Oscars ceremony.