On August 9, the Fire Island Artist Residency (FIAR) brought artistic and life partners Beth Stephens and Annie Sprinkle, self-designated ‘ecosexuals’ and ‘aquaphiliacs,’ to the Cherry Grove Community House to share their film “Water Makes Us Wet: an Ecosexual Adventure,” in its a Fire Island premiere, documenting their road trip in a fantastic consciousness-raising piece, often leavening with levity some deadly serious environmental issues.
Stephens and Sprinkle co-produced the film with Keith Wilson and narration is by ‘trans icon’ Sandy Stone. “We’re shifting the metaphor from earth as mother to earth as lover,” said Beth, and the film depicts their love for each other and for the earth and its water, which they treasure and in which they revel.
In their Earthlab vehicle, with Butch, their black Lab, Beth and Annie visit California watersheds and forests, Big Sur and Salinas; learn in detail how San Francisco’s sewage system works and about the treatment of raw sewage; experience the recycling of waste water; commune with the elephant seals; pause at William Randolph Hearst’s castle; and cleanse in hot springs. We meet Annie’s sister and mother and join Annie and Beth on Lake Tenaya, where they spread Annie’s father’s ashes. We hear about the culpability of the Nestlé and Arrowhead companies, in harnessing and bottling water, without regard to the environmental damage that they do, the endangered species they harm. We see manmade, polluted Salton Sea, in a sad landscape littered with dead fish. Though the film’s focus is on California and the Pacific, its relevance to Fire Island and the Atlantic and Great South Bay is undeniable.
Beth and Annie survive a devastating accident on the road; adopt a storm drain in San Francisco; and adding the E of ecosexuality to LGBTQ, ‘crash’ the San Francisco Pride Parade.
After the showing of “Water Makes Us Wet,” Beth and Annie answered questions from the audience and treated us to a reading of their “25 Ways to Make Love to The Earth,” from “Tell the Earth, ‘I love you. I can’t live without you,’” to “Vow to love, honor and cherish the Earth until death brings you closer together forever.”