Passing didn’t come easy for writer-director Rebecca Hall or stars Tessa Thompson and Ruth Negga —and that’s how it was meant to be. In creating the first-ever screen adaptation of Nella Larsen’s classic 1929 novella, the experience was one of intense intimacy, working toward fulfilling Hall’s exacting vision while allowing the actors room to burrow inside two complex, timeless characters.

Read more at Vanity Fair: ‘Passing’ Trailer: Watch Tessa Thompson, Ruth Negga, and Rebecca Hall’s Film