Pabst Films Blog
Why Lethal Rubber? - January 21, 2008
I've been loved and hated for making this film. I guess it just depends on how the viewer feels about animals. But almost all ask me, "why did you make Lethal Rubber?" I thought it was time to tell the story.
I work as a supervisor for a construction company on my day job. I drive all over northern New Jersey checking work done by the company work crews. On one of the major highways I saw a Ground Hog standing on the side of the road looking across the 6 lanes of traffic. I knew this little critter was going to 'go for it' and try to get to the other side. I also knew he was most likely going to be killed before he reached the second lane.
When I got back to the shop that evening I mentioned this story about this brave little soul to a few of the other workers and I was saddened by the different comments. "Serves him right if he gets it", "Dumb ass animals", "If I see him I'll help him on his way" and "What am I suppose to do, stop driving my car just because animals are getting killed on the highway". It amazes me how people will justify their behavior.
There are so many dead animals on our streets and highways and most of us just fly by in our cars like they're not even there on the road. So, I took my pocket DV cam with me to work the next day and set out to give the animals a voice. I wondered what they were doing the moment before they were killed. They don't know what a highway is, or an eighteen wheeler for that matter. They just want to get somewhere.
On my first day I got all the animals except the bear, which I got on my second day. I was 52 years old at the time and had never seen a bear dead on the road before nor have I seen one since.
My hope is that this short film, "Lethal Rubber" will make you stop and think. I'm NOT going to tell you what to think. I just hope you get a chance to take pause and think about the animals.
Lethal Rubber (2006) was my first public film release. - h.e. pabst
