Founded by filmmaker and activist Richard Curtis, Make My Money Matter is a campaign group that aims to give people more choice over their money, so that their pension, investments, and banks align with their own values.

One of the organisation’s priorities in the coming years is to stop the UK’s high street banks directly financing fossil fuels. In 2022, Barclays, HSBC, Santander, NatWest, and Lloyds funnelled $37 billion towards the fossil fuel sector, according to the Banking on Climate Chaos report. It also found that 65% of UK citizens don’t realise their bank may be financing fossil fuel companies developing new oil and gas projects.

This subject is the focus of the group’s latest campaign, The Hidden Relationship. Created by Mother and directed by Ben Strebel, the short film sees Curtis tap up A-list talent (and real-life couple) Kit Harington and Rose Leslie, who first met on the set of Game of Thrones.

As the film opens, we see Harington and Leslie battling it out with each other at a particularly intense couples therapy session, before the true nature of their ‘hidden relationship’ is revealed.

“Our largest high-street banks are in a dangerous relationship with the fossil fuel industry – and it’s time we all knew about it,” says Curtis.

“We’ve made this new film to highlight the toxic relationship between our banks and the fossil fuel industry, and help UK bank account holders to make sure their money matters. The climate crisis is worsening, getting more urgent every day, and it’s time for banks to use their enormous power to build a better world.”

Credits:
Creative Agency: Mother
Production Company: Biscuit Filmworks UK
Director: Ben Strebel
DOP: Ben Todd
Production Designer: Morgan Kennedy