Passing, a film by Rebecca Hall

29 October 2021

We’re all passing for something, aren’t we? Passing (trailer) is the directorial debut of British actor and filmmaker Rebecca Hall, and is based on the 1929 book of the same name, written by late American author Nella Larsen. Clare (Ruth Negga) and Irene (Tessa Thompson), are old school friends who meet again by chance years after leaving school. While both women are mixed-race, Irene identifies as being African-American, while Clare’s light complexion allows her to “pass” as being white. But their obsessive interest in each other threatens to unravel both their lives.