Venice premiere of The Testament of Ann Lee earns 15-minute ovation

Amanda Seyfried drew sustained applause at the Venice International Film Festival on Monday as The Testament of Ann Lee, a bold, music‑driven retelling of the 18th century Shaker leader, had its world premiere in Sala Grande. The film, coauthored and directed by Mona Fastvold, was screened in the festival's main competition and elicited a reported 15 minute standing ovation, one of the longest of the festival so far.

The Testament of Ann Lee casts Seyfried as Ann Lee, the English founder of the Shakers who emigrated to America in 1776 with a small group of followers. The film is described by its makers as a speculative retelling rather than a conventional biopic or musical. It folds more than a dozen original Shaker hymns into ecstatic, choreographed movements created by Celia RowlsonHall, with a score by Daniel Blumberg. The ensemble includes Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Stacy Martin, Tim Blake Nelson and Christopher Abbott.

Seyfried talked at length about the physical and vocal demands of the role during a press conference and interviews surrounding the premiere. She said recording the film's musical sequences was "stressful" and "hard," describing much of her work as...