Irish star Ruth Negga is set to play one of the lead roles in Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut Passing, alongside U.S. star Tessa Thompson.
The film is based on Nella Larsen’s 1929 novel of the same name, and deals with “racial passing”, which refers to a member of one racial group being accepted as another racial group. Set primarily in the Harlem neighborhood of New York City in the 1920s, the story centers on the reunion of two childhood friends—Clare Kendry and Irene Redfield—and their increasing fascination with each other’s lives.
Margot Hand of Picture Films and Oren Moverman of Sight Unseen are producing, with Angela Robinson serving as executive producer.
Rebecca Hall is a brilliant artist who I’ve had the pleasure of working with and I’ve loved the Nella Larson novella, Passing since I first read it many years ago. When Rebecca told me about her family history and her passion to tell this story, I immediately signed on to help bring her vision of this incredible book to the screen.
Angela Robinson, Executive Producer