TRUFFAUT ONCE POSITED that true film art died with the advent of sound, a notion that at first sounds like a load of Cahiers-style curmudgeonliness cut with a cinephile's knack for passionate hyperbole. But once you've sat enthralled though one of the era's muted daydreams in the Castro Theatre's time-machine auditorium (complete with the Wurlitzer a-pumpin' or with a small orchestra accompanying the flickering images on-screen) – well, it's almost enough to make you a believer. Now in its ninth year, the San Francisco Silent Film Festival brings even the stodgiest viewers out of the woodwork, as it's one of the few cine buffets worth circling the calendar for: no other local shindig has consistently managed to resurrect the medium's early allure with such grace. There are a few nods to the usual crowd-pleasing suspects of the period – Chaplin and Valentino put in appearances with The Circus (1928) and The Four Horsemen of the Apocalypse (1921), respectively – that are perfect for hooking first-timers, but the hard-core nitrate junkies will be happiest knowing that some really rare fixes are being prepared. The Dragon Painter (1919) is, simply put, the don't-miss pick. Not only do you get the treat of seeing Sessue Hayakawa, the first Asian actor to cross over to matinee-idol status, but also master benshi Midori Sawato is on hand to replicate the authentic Japanese silent-film presentation experience. Fans of Stanley Kwan's Actress can watch that film's subject, Ruan Lingyu, work her fallen-angel magic in 1934's Shennü (The Goddess). And the odd 1916 Douglas Fairbanks short "The Mystery of the Leaping Fish" – about a cocaine-fiend detective – honestly defies any and all attempt at description. See Rep Clock or go to www.silentfilm.org for show times. (David Fear)

'Hard Goodbyes: My Father
Moon blues

Though Penny Panayotopoulou's Hard Goodbyes: My Father is about an extended, at times dysfunctional Greek clan, it's thankfully a far cry from My Big Fat Greek Wedding. The poignant and beautifully shot Hard Goodbyes focuses on a late-1960s Athens family – inquisitive 10-year-old Elias (Giorgos Karayannis), surly teenager Ari (Christos Bougiotas), and their mom (Ioanna Tsirigouli) – ruled by the comings and goings of their traveling-salesman patriarch (Stelios Mainas). Dad's brother (Christos Stergioglou) lives nearby with irritable, senile Grandma (Despo Diamantidou). Mom and Dad bitterly argue – she's resentful that he's gone all the time – but it's clear there's a deep love between them. Still, the strongest bond is between Dad and Elias; the middle-age man is playful with his son and encourages him to read Jules Verne stories and fantasize about space travel. The impending lunar landing fascinates Elias, especially after his beloved pop is killed in a car accident. A farewell note written just before the crash, reading in part "This time I'll be gone awhile, but I'll be back before the moon landing," becomes Elias's mantra; while everyone else sadly faces the tragedy and begins to move on, Elias is mired in stubborn denial. A gifted writer, he pens letters from "Dad" to Grandma, and to the annoyance of everyone, frequently announces that his father isn't really dead – just on an extended business trip. In lesser hands, this melancholy tale could have easily slipped into something ridiculously maudlin. But Panayotopoulou, who also wrote the script, does a fine job exploring the grieving process of a child without going to obvious, heartstring-pulling extremes. See Critic's Choice for show times. (Cheryl Eddy)