'Hard Goodbyes:' In a Theater Near You?

Sipapu Films

Giorgos Karayannis, as Elias in the Greek film, Hard Goodbyes: My Father.

Technically speaking, the Greek film Hard Goodbyes: My Father is a contender for the Oscars and the Golden Globes. But don't be surprised if you've never heard of it. The film is a coming-of-age story about a boy and his father and their dream of watching the first moon landing in 1969. Set in Athens, and it's in Greek with English subtitles. Like many such films, it was almost certainly doomed to obscurity. So far, the film has appeared in just two U.S. theaters.

Journalist Liz Yuan is trying to change that. Yuan is president of Sipapu Films, the company that brought director Penny Panayotopoulou's film to the United States. Yuan is also the company's head of publicity, its sole investor, and its envelope stuffer. NPR's Michele Norris, host of All Things Considered, talks with Yuan about her personal and solo quest to get the film distributed in the United States.