The Dust Factory

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The Dust Factory
Directed by	Eric Small
Produced by	Tani Cohen
Written by	Eric Small
Starring	Armin Mueller-Stahl Hayden Panettiere Ryan Kelley
Release date(s)	2004
Running time	99 min.
Country	U.S.
Language	English
IMDb profile

The Dust Factory is a 2004 film directed and written by Eric Small.

[edit] Plot

Ryan Flynn (Ryan Kelley) is a boy who doesn't speak, being scarred by the death of his father. An accident causes Ryan to be transported to what seems to be an alternate universe, called "The Dust Factory." In the Dust Factory, Ryan regains his voice and is reunited with his grandfather, whose Alzheimer's disease keeps him from communicating in the real world. Then Melanie comes into Ryan's life. Mel (Hayden Panettiere) is a tomboy who is always dressed in coats and scarves because "it's always winter." Ryan and Mel's relationship grows stronger and stronger throughout the film as Grandpa Randolph provides advice. Amidst the goings-on is the ringmaster, who tries to lure Mel away from Ryan and keep her from returning to her own world.

In the film, the Dust Factory is a sort of limbo between life and death. All three characters are in life-or-death situations which are gradually revealed in the film. The characters must all make the decision whether or not to cross over into the afterlife or hold on to their earthly existence. Their decision is symbolized by a daredevil stunt that they are required to perform in a circus-like surrounding.