Boulder man dresses in drag to make his point: It may be your lawn, but it’s everybody’s water

September 21, 2009 · Posted by in G.I.Y. 

The boss — a man in drag, wearing a stunning bleach blonde wig, turquoise flapper dress and pink heels — sits on the water-waster’s lap (a wealthy and bigheaded young man accused of watering his ample lawn five times a day, seven days a week).

The boa-bedecked “boss” strokes the water-waster’s cheek, and asks, in a sultry sweet man-woman voice, “Do you have low-flow toilets at home?”

The "commissioners" -- futuristic guardians of water conservation -- meet Walter, a serious water water, in Mark Petersen's film, "More or Less." The film the third produced by Petersen, a Boulder resident, to make it into the finals of the Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition.

The "commissioners" -- futuristic guardians of water conservation -- meet Walter, a serious water water, in Mark Petersen's film, "More or Less." The film the third produced by Petersen, a Boulder resident, to make it into the finals of the Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition.

“Low-flow what?” the water-waster, aka Walter, says.

“Oh Walter, don’t you see,” responds the boss, leaping from his lap, clearly disturbed by his lack of water wisdom. “There’s no life without water.”

This peculiar scene plays out in a 10-minute, gangster-themed — and oddly, also sci-fi themed — flick designed by Boulder resident Mark Petersen. The film, “More or Less,” is a finalist in this year’s Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition.

Petersen is heading to Los Angeles today for the awards ceremony, to be held Wednesday night at the Getty Center.

“My two little girls watched it, and said ‘Dad, that was bizarre,’” said Petersen, who considered the quip a compliment.

This is the third year of the Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition — and the third time that Petersen, who has been running a sprinkler business for 32 years, has entered a film.

“He has been a finalist three years in a row,” said Jennifer Riley-Chetwynd, a spokeswoman for Rain Bird, the California-based irrigation company that sponsors the competition. “Each film has been very different.”

And this year’s, Riley-Chetwynd agrees, is aptly described as bizarre.

Read the full water conservation film story at DailyCamera.com or read more about the Intelligent Use of Water Film Competition.

More WATER on BigGreenBoulder:

What our thirst for water does: A $3 billion, 400-mile water pipeline plan
High temps, low water killing off area fish

More resources:
Water conservation tips at Planet Green [Planet Green]
Save water: 5 painless water-saving tips [The Daily Green]
Why does eating less beef save water? [Grist]
Saving water = saving electricity [Planet Green]

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2 Responses to “Boulder man dresses in drag to make his point: It may be your lawn, but it’s everybody’s water”

  1. MrSprinkler on September 22nd, 2009 3:11 pm

    Now is also a good time to remind folks to winterize their sprinklers.
    Too often my clients and others try to squeeze out every possible day of watering for the season
    Lawns go dormant regardless of a day or two of extra water…try to get cold weather to be dormant and not freeze pipes!!! The cost of repair can be sometimes be more than 10 times that of prevention.\\
    I do Sprinkler Blow-Outs for $40.00 (sign up with a next door neighbor for half off the second home) (must be next door for this rate…any other 2nd home just $5.00 off each)
    Classic Yard Works 303-434-5214
    serving east Boulder County region

  2. Move over vending machine…here's something greener and healthier … | Food Health Wisdom on September 22nd, 2009 2:57 pm

    [...] Boulder man dresses in drag to make his point: It may be your lawn … [...]