Taking place from 18–29 September in Edinburgh and Glasgow – and then visiting Aberdeen and Inverness later in the year – the festival programme explores issues from female empowerment to social inequity, and considers the move from climate awareness to direct climate action.

Film director Ken Loach is a patron of the festival, and the closing night boasts a special preview of his new feature Sorry We Missed You. The film explores the heavy toll of the gig economy and zero-hour contracts on family lives, as a couple seek to regain a foot on the housing ladder after the financial crash. More than 10 years on from the financial crisis, it is important to remember the complex relationships between financial institutions and society: banks need to be better at considering their impact people and planet – an issue which is core to Triodos Bank’s existence.

Social and environmental action

Many of the ways in which Triodos seeks to have a positive social, environmental and cultural impact are reflected in the themes and partners at Take One Action 2019. The Shared Planet film strand, for example, interrogates current environmental challenges in the face of growing climate chaos and asks how we move beyond awareness to meaningful action. Take One Action 2019 coincides with the first ever global climate strike, and the films selected acknowledge the role of youth activism in pushing the climate agenda forward.

Anthropocene film image
Anthropocene is one of the films within the Shared Planet stream

Friends of the Earth Scotland, a long-term partner of Triodos Bank, is sponsoring the screening of Anthropocene. This highly anticipated follow-up to Edward Burtynsky’s previous films, Manufactured Landscapes and Watermark, explores the ways in which human activity has been transforming the planet over the last few decades. Triodos will be present at the Anthropocene screenings and will be showing a short film ahead of the main event. 

The social challenges around housing are tackled on the opening night of Take One Action, marking Scottish Housing Day. A new feature documentary, Push, explores the commodification of housing through in-depth research and interviews.

Tamara van Strijthem
Tamara Van Strijthem, executive director of Take One Action

Working for a fairer, kinder and more sustainable world

Tamara Van Strijthem is executive director of Take One Action, and a longstanding Triodos savings customer. She has recently opened a current account with the bank.

She explains: "The festival was set up in 2008 to bring people together, nurture conversations and empower audiences to be the change they want to see in the world – starting from Scotland."

Tamara is passionate about the role that banking can play in reshaping our world for the better.

“I started banking with Triodos because I felt the organisation’s values aligned strongly with my own. I want to play my part in bringing about a fairer, kinder and more sustainable world – and that is a journey in which ethical finance has a huge role to play.”

To find out more about Take One Action and purchase tickets for events and screenings, head to its website.

Triodos Bank will be at the screening of Anthropocene at the CCA Glasgow on Friday 27 September.