ABOUT THE SHOW

Adapted from the celebrated 1929 novel of the same name by Nella Larsen, PASSING tells the story of two Black women, Irene Redfield (Tessa Thompson) and Clare Kendry (Academy Award nominee Ruth Negga), who can “pass” as white but choose to live on opposite sides of the color line during the height of the Harlem Renaissance in late 1920s New York. After a chance encounter reunites the former childhood friends one summer afternoon, Irene reluctantly allows Clare into her home, where she ingratiates herself to Irene’s husband (André Holland) and family, and soon her larger social circle as well. As their lives become more deeply intertwined, Irene finds her once-steady existence upended by Clare, and PASSING becomes a riveting examination of obsession, repression and the lies people tell themselves and others to protect their carefully constructed realities.The film intimately uses the notion of “passing” to explore not just racial identity but gender and the responsibilities of motherhood, sexuality and the performance of femininity. PASSING also stars Bill Camp, Gbenga Akinnagbe, Antoinette Crowe-Legacy, and Alexander Skarsgard; and is produced by Nina Yang Bongiovi (p.g.a.), Forest Whitaker (p.g.a.), Margot Hand (p.g.a.), Rebecca Hall (p.g.a.)

The screening will be followed by a post-screening conversation with director, writer, producer Rebecca Hall and featured talent Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga. Moderated by Dr. Lois Brown, ASU Foundation Professor of English and Director of the Center for the Study of Race and Democracy at Arizona State University

Short Film Pairing - Shadow Life: Shining Through Colorism and Depression (Dir. Miranda Kahn), 6 Min/USA) - A short documentary exploring a young woman's experiences working through colorism, racism and mental illness, told through interviews and stop motion animated shadow puppetry.

This screening of PASSING is part of the Film at LACMA Black Joy and Resilience Film Series in conjunction with the Obama Portraits/ Black American Portraits exhibitions at LACMA presented in partnership with ASU Film Spark, the Sidney Poitier New American Film School, and NewFilmmakers LA.

RSVPs will close two hours prior to showtime. Viewing instructions will be sent to the provided email just prior to the scheduled start time. The film will be available until midnight, Sunday, December 12.