Local filmmaker Frank Ladner released his newest short film this week, entitled “Aluminum.”

The 15-minute film is about a man called River Trapp, played by Dallas Taylor, who discovered he has a telekinetic ability to move aluminum.

“I wanted to tell a story about a peculiar individual,” Ladner said.

Ladner also said he wanted to incorporate special effects, something he has been practicing for years, but had yet to include in one of his films.

However, only one scene was shot with computer generated graphics, Ladner said, the rest was filmed using very thin line that made the aluminum appear to float.

Ladner said River’s character was written to be “a prophet without honor in his own town.”

In the film, River’s talent is rejected by his family and friends.

“I wanted it to be something that when you first watch it you say ‘wow that’s incredible’ but then it’s not and nobody really cares,” Ladner said.

He said he wanted the character to be a subtle commentary on how it takes a lot to entertain modern audiences, who often have short attention spans.

The film documents the struggle of an elderly Alzheimer’s patient whose granddaughter enlists the help of River to clear the aluminum from her brain.

Ladner said there are some scientific connections between Alzheimer’s and aluminum, according to some reports.

Due to his own experience with the disease, Lader said he wanted to bring a comedic element, but also be sensitive about the subject.

In one scene, the grandmother, played by Mary Etta Moody, asked her granddaughter, played by Jessy Hughes, about the name of a movie they had seen.

“It turned out to be sort of funny, but at the same time sweet,” Ladner said.

The film fits with Ladner’s typical documentary style of films, taking on his usual slow paced and dry commentary style.

“I try not to compromise anything when I’m making a movie,” Ladner said. “It’s like the old saying, write what you know.”

In the final scene of the film, River performs tricks with an aluminum can at a nursing home while he says, “Everybody may not be for what you do. And what you do may not be for everybody.”

Ladner said that with every film he makes, he knows that not everyone will enjoy it, and that is part of the compromise he makes by not writing to appeal to large audiences.

Ladner said the film was recently accepted to compete in the Grenada Afterglow Film Festival in October.

“Aluminum” can be found on YouTube at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xyFjglis-Z4.