"Here's something I learned recently: Budapest is a really good place to film a movie, especially if you're focused on recreating an 18th-century landscape. On the complete flip side, it's not an ideal destination for sourcing Shaker furniture. These two facts came smashing together for The Testament of Ann Lee, a movie released on December 25 2025, that highlights the life and legacy of Mother Ann Lee, played by Amanda Seyfried, one of the more well-known leaders of the Shaker movement."
"While the movie was filmed in a small handful of places, its acts spill out into a grand epic. Beginning in Manchester, England, and ending in New York, there are treacherous moments at sea and a particularly humorous scene where one of the travelling Shakers finds their plot of land after his finger takes on a life of its own and directs him to the very spot (seriously)."
The Testament of Ann Lee is a musical biopic portraying Mother Ann Lee and Shaker communities across locations including Manchester, Budapest, and New York. Production design prioritized Shaker simplicity and craftsmanship, requiring bespoke furniture construction and collaboration with museums and local Hungarian artisans to replicate period-accurate pieces. Budapest provided adaptable 18th-century architecture and practical production advantages while other sites supplied varied landscapes and seafaring sequences. The film balances song, dance, and spoken storytelling to convey increasing Shaker devotion, humor, and travel. Research into Shaker material culture and philosophy informed set dressing, costumes, and props to achieve historical authenticity.
Read at CN Traveller
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