Naman Shrestha
The Mona Fastvold directorial, ‘The Testament of Ann Lee,’ is a biographical musical drama movie that revolves around the devotional sect known as the Shakers and its founding leader, Ann Lee. The irrepressible leader, who is eventually proclaimed as the female Christ, garners her followers’ support by preaching social and gender equality. Through song and dance, she embarks on a journey to build a utopia within the Shaker community. Based on true events, the historical tale is brought to life by stellar performances from Amanda Seyfried, Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Stacy Martin, Tim Blake Nelson, Christopher Abbott, and more. Set in the 18th century, the narrative unfolds against the backdrop of the Shakers’ community, which was active in Manchester, England, and Upstate New York.
The Testament of Ann Lee Filming Locations
Production on ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ was conducted in Hungary, Sweden, and Massachusetts, especially in and around Budapest, Gothenburg, and Hancock. According to reports, principal photography for the period drama film got underway in August 2024 and wrapped up after about four months in December of the same year. In order to depict the birthing scenes as authentically and graphically as possible, filmmaker Mona Fastvold used prosthetic body parts instead of relying on technology.
Budapest, Hungary
Most of the pivotal sequences for ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ were reportedly lensed in and around Budapest, the capital of Hungary, in the months of August and September 2024. Several of the city’s streets and establishments doubled as 18th-century England and New York State. Instead of transporting the furniture reminiscent of the Shaker community, the crew members found it easier to build new furniture on the set itself. Production designer Sam Bader told Condé Nast Traveler, “When it came to the meat of it, anything Shaker you saw was built by our amazing set dec fabrication team there. Lauren Doss, our lead decorator, was able to find a fantastic recreation of the chair we were looking to make: the Niskayuna Albany chair. That was serendipity.”
An establishment in Budapest also stood in for a surrogate home to the Cunningham House in New York City, where the group stay after traveling from Manchester, England. Since Bader and his team lacked the time and money to build a freestanding structure, they found a unique property that served as the congregation hall. “That’s where we did a third of the movie’s sets, and we saw that the best thing for the hall was old stone, a concrete barn full of junk, with a wooden vaulted roof and joints and beams,” he told The Hollywood Reporter. They rebuilt the walls, floors, and other aspects of the property to transform it into an aesthetic 360-degree hall.
Gothenburg, Sweden
In order to record the Atlantic crossing sequences of Ann Lee and her followers sailing towards America, the production team of ‘The Testament of Ann Lee’ set up camp in the city of Gothenburg, located off the Göta älv river. To be specific, the area of Eriksberg within the city seemingly features in a few scenes. From what we can tell, the Götheborg of Sweden, which is a full-scale replica of the historic 18th-century Swedish East Indiaman Götheborg (I), was seemingly used for shipboard scenes.
Hancock, Massachusetts
For the purpose of shooting ‘The Testament of Ann Lee,’ the production team also traveled to the town of Hancock, located in Massachusetts’ Berkshire County. In November 2024, the cast and crew members reportedly took over the Hancock Shaker Village, which is an authentic former Shaker commune. “Much of what’s there is original, and some of it is immaculately recreated,” Bader told Condé Nast Traveler. He added, “Layla Stover, our American set decorator, has such a phenomenal bedside manner when it comes to handling historic spaces. We built a lot of shorthand to the point where they ultimately really did unlock some of the stanchions and let us go in and shoot some of those stunningly preserved rooms, which are usually not spaces they let people into.” Additional portions were also supposedly shot in Upstate New York Region, located east of Massachusetts.
