For Writer-Director Rebecca Hall, 'Passing' was a Deeply Personal Project

The new film Passing looks at an age-old issue in the Black community: lighter-skinned Black people "passing" in society as white. Tessa Thompson plays Irene, or "Reeni," who identifies as Black and lives in Harlem in the 1920s. Reeni runs into an old friend named Claire at a restaurant but doesn't recognize her at first. Clare, who is played by Ruth Negga, is pretending to be white yet dearly wants to start up their friendship again. Passing, which drops on Netflix Wednesday, is the creation of English actor, writer and director Rebecca Hall. She shot the film in black and white and adapted the screenplay from the 1929 novel by Nella Larsen.'