Film journalist Ann Lee has experienced a peculiar year as the release of The Testament of Ann Lee approaches. The Shaker biopic, starring Amanda Seyfried and directed by Mona Fastvold, has brought unexpected attention to her name. Friends have been texting her about the film since its announcement, amused that her name now tops a Hollywood production.
Lee admits she once thought her name was unremarkable, given that Lee is one of the most common surnames globally. But seeing it as a film title changed her perspective. The movie follows the 18th-century Shaker leader Ann Lee, who left Manchester for America to spread her faith, emphasising celibacy and gender equality. Seyfried’s performance has sparked Oscar buzz.
Attending a preview screening, Lee gave her name to a PR, who double-checked in surprise. She laughed, noting that people often misspell her name as Anne or mistake it for a double-barrelled first name. She recalled a press event where her name was heard as “Ham Lee”. As a film journalist, she also fields jokes about being Ang Lee, the director of Brokeback Mountain.
Lee found the film compelling, with ecstatic dance sequences and rousing songs by composer Daniel Blumberg. She was relieved that “her film” was good, sparing her name association with a flop. During the Q&A, she stared at her name on the screen, now the definitive Ann Lee in Google searches, overshadowing the 90s Eurodance singer of the same name.
