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The Testament of Ann Lee

Berlinale Special Gala 2026
© 2025 Searchlight Pictures All Rights Reserved.
The extraordinary true legend of Ann Lee, founder of the devotional sect known as the Shakers, who preached gender and social equality and was revered by her followers. The film captures the ecstasy and agony of her quest to build a utopia, featuring more than a dozen traditional Shaker hymns rapturously imagined anew.

Trailer/Film Excerpt

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by Mona Fastvold (Director, Screenplay), Brady Corbet (Screenplay)
with Amanda Seyfried, Lewis Pullman, Thomasin McKenzie, Matthew Beard, Christopher Abbott USA / United Kingdom 2025 English 136' Colour German premiere

With

  • Amanda Seyfried (Ann Lee)
  • Lewis Pullman (William Lee)
  • Thomasin McKenzie (Mary Partington)
  • Matthew Beard (James Whittaker)
  • Christopher Abbott (Abraham Standerin)

Crew

Director Mona Fastvold
Screenplay Mona Fastvold, Brady Corbet
Cinematography William Rexer
Editing Sofía Subercaseaux
Music Daniel Blumberg
Production Design Samuel Bader
Costumes Małgorzata Karpiuk
Make-Up Stephanie Pasicov
Casting Isabella Odoffin
Animation Sebastian Barker
Producers Andrew Morrison, Joshua Horsfield, Viktória Petrányi, Mona Fastvold, Brady Corbet, Gregory Jankilevitsch, Klaudia Śmieja-Rostworowska, Lillian LaSalle, Mark Lampert
Executive Producers Heather Nodelman, The Burger Family, Marc Iserlis

Produced by

Kaplan Morrison

New York, USA

Intake Films

London, United Kingdom

World Sales

Searchlight Pictures

Los Angeles, USA

Photos

Press Conference

Red Carpet

Mona Fastvold

© Getty

The screenwriter and director made her directing debut in 2012 with The Sleepwalker which she co-wrote with Brady Corbet and which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival. She continued her collaboration with Corbet when they co-wrote the script for his film The Childhood of a Leader which premiered in the Orizzonti section at the Venice Film Festival where it won Best Director and Best First Feature. Her second feature film as a director, The World to Come, premiered in competition at Venice. Together with Corbet, she also co-wrote the screenplay for The Brutalist which won many accolades including ten Oscar nominations. She lives and works in New York and Oslo.

Filmography

2012 The Sleepwalker 2020 The World to Come 2025 The Testament of Ann Lee

Bio- & filmography as of Berlinale 2026