Amanda Seyfried moved to tears in Venice...

Actress and singer Amanda Seyfried got emotional as her film The Testament of Ann Lee received a 15-minute standing ovation at the Venice Film Festival. The Testament of Ann Lee is a historical drama musical film co-written and directed by Mona Fastvold. It stars Amanda Seyfried as Ann Lee, the 18th-century founder of the Christian sect the Shakers.

The Testament of Ann Lee is “an epic fable inspired by the life of Ann Lee, the founder of the Shakers, a radical religious movement that began in the late 1700s.” Fastvold said in a statement, “Our film is a speculative retelling of the life of Ann Lee, one of the few female religious leaders of the 18th century. She and her followers, known as the Shakers, worshipped through ecstatic song and movement — trembling, exuberant and physically expressive acts of devotion.”

Amanda said, “It’s a celebration. It’s an experience. It’s unlike anything, so it is hard to describe for me as somebody who’s not very good at describing things. But it felt very brave, and it felt very scary. But once we were shooting that lifted.”

Asked whether she loved singing on screen, the ace star shared, “I did. I love singing. And I love the way it makes me feel when I’m acting. After the first week in the studio working on the two main songs before we started shooting, it felt great because I understood exactly what it was and what Mona wanted. But I do remember Mona just laying on the floor with me and my dog (Seyfried’s nearly 16-year-old Australian Shepherd, Finn) in the studio in Budapest while I was singing and trying to get closer to Ann Lee’s grief.”

Seyfried said during the press conference that making the film was an “incredible” experience, but noted that “it’s also really hard playing somebody who’s a leader.” “Like yes, I relate to the mother instincts, I relate to the need for community and kindness and compassion and the quality. And I love Mona’s intentions and Ann Lee’s intentions behind everything they did, and it was just so attractive,” the Emmy Award winner explained.

The Testament of Ann Lee also stars Thomasin McKenzie, Lewis Pullman, Stacy Martin and Tim Blake Nelson.