Venice 2025: Amanda Seyfried and Mona Fastvold say ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ was a challenge to the “male-dominated” industry
Director Mona Fastvold and actor Amanda Seyfried have opened up about the process behind their new film The Testament of Ann Lee, saying it was a reckoning to a “male-dominated” industry.
The film, which follows Seyfried as the titular Ann Lee, the female leader of the Shakers religious sect, will premiere at the Venice Film Festival on September 1st and is in competition for the prestigious Golden Lion Award.
However, in the press conference before the premiere, the pair gave an insight as to the making of the film, with Fastvold saying: “It’s interesting talking about female leadership right now.”
She added: “Trying to create a piece of art in a business that’s very male-dominated, I’m always trying to create a community on set that is a bit different, and to create a culture that is nurturing, that is kind, that has a lot of empathy for everyone on my sets,” noting how she was inspired by Lee’s ability to “lead with empathy and kindness.”
To this end, Seyfried explained how the experience of shooting the movie was “incredibly rare and might never happen again,” saying, “It was such a joyous experience, especially the way it was led by Mona. We felt like in the Shaker movement we had a job to do, it felt very community-driven, equal.”
For Fastvold, her role directing and writing the film, alongside her husband Brady Corbet, comes off the back of the pair’s critically acclaimed partnership on The Brutalist earlier this year, which saw the film take in Oscar, Bafta, and Golden Globe wins, among many others.
The Testament of Ann Lee is currently screening at the Venice Film Festival and will tour other festivals, before a release date is confirmed.
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