JANUARY INTERVIEW
Present Company: Rebecca Hall
Rebecca Hall’s directorial debut sees the adaptation of Nella Larsen’s 1929 book Passing, an intimately-drawn portrait of two estranged friends whose chance reconnection leads to the revelation of a fiercely-kept secret, and ushers in both of their undoings. The protagonist is Irene, a private, polite Black woman struggling to fulfill her mounting expectations as a mother and the wife of a successful doctor. Her childhood friend Clare is a light-skinned Black woman passing as white in society; she has married a white man and lives a lonely life within the folds of white society.. In rekindling their adolescent friendship, the two women threaten to reveal Clare’s long-buried secret, an act which would put both of their lives at risk.
On the Present Company podcast, Hall talks to host Krista Smith about her inspiration for adapting the film, her personal connection to the subject matter, and how she remained true to her vision despite growing challenges.