Power Up! Film Screening, Discussion And Collective Poetry Making

As well as the films, we will also hear from Flick Monk from Platform about what’s happening with community energy in Scotland, then conclude the evening with interactive discussion and collective poetry making from Spring, a collective of artists, writers, theatre makers, energy folks and participatory democracy experts with the tagline “democratising energy, energising democracy”.

In the afternoon before the screening, Take One Action are hosting a free Great Big Green Week workshop exploring how we talk about why we care about climate, nature and community energy, and how those stories connect us to each other. Find out more and book on here.

About the films:

The Coal Beneath our Feet, the Wind Above our Heads (2025)

Ownership, memory, and the fight for a liveable future… Told through intergenerational conversations in the South Wales Valleys, the film traces a line from coal to wind, from extraction to renewal, and asks a simple question: who should own the things that shape our lives? The first half centres on coal, culminating in the story of Tower Colliery, bought and run by its workers after closure. The second half turns to wind energy, ending in a Welsh village that owns its own wind farm and reinvests the returns locally. Framed through the eyes of two young people who feel disconnected from their place and history, the film explores how knowledge, struggle, and collective action can restore dignity and agency. It is a film about Wales, made with Welsh communities, and rooted in the belief that the future only works if people are not cut out of it.

(2021)  

Imagine upending the traditional energy system and giving the power of clean electricity production back to your neighbors. We the Power follows friends, families and visionaries as they break down legislative barriers and take power back from big energy companies to put in the hands of locals. The film chronicles local cooperatives from deep in Germany’s Black Forest to the streets of ancient Girona in Spain and the urban rooftops of London, England, as they pave the way for a renewable-energy revolution and build healthier, more financially stable communities.

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Host or Publisher Grassmarket Picture House (Community Cinema)