Passing is released in select cinemas today - a film set in 1920s New York and centred around a Black woman and her childhood friend whom she discovers is now 'passing' as white.
Director, Rebecca Hall identifies as white but has mixed heritage on her mother's side. Her film is an adaptation of the 1929 novel "Passing" but feels incredibly relevant to society today, particularly conversations around colourism and privilege.
"It’s still so hard as a female filmmaker to get something made,” Thompson says who played lead character Irene, even more so a debut film in black and white. |
This visual choice was crucial to Hall, making it impossible for the audience to determine the skin tone of the characters.
The film for hall has been a journey of self-discovery and of understanding her own history better. After a lifetime of uncertainty, she eventually found out about her lineage of race and the 'passing' of her grandfather that confused her familial history.
Passing has been picked up by Netflix in a major deal which guarantees the film a large, mainstream audience after an arduous financing process. Available on Netflix on November 10th.
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