Square Connecting the Falklands

Intro

The Falkland Islands sit in the freezing waters of the South Atlantic, one of the most remote inhabited places on earth. Penguins outnumber people a hundred to one. The capital, Stanley, is a place where mobile phones only arrived in 2005 and where the first card payment was taken as recently as 2018. It's also a place of resilient people, running remarkable small businesses.

The Brief

Square needed to establish itself in the UK market by demonstrating the real difference its payment technology makes to small businesses, not through advertising, but through genuine human stories. Working with agency Harvard and in partnership with the Falkland Islands Government and Chamber of Commerce, the decision was made to go to one of the most remote small-business communities on earth and document what happens when the right technology finally arrives.

The film's job was not to sell a product. It was to tell the truth about a place and its people and let that truth speak for the brand.

My Role

As Additional Camera and Editor, I worked alongside director Jane Stockdale and DOP Max Cutting as second camera, splitting across locations to follow multiple characters simultaneously. Filming the king penguins in their natural habitat was incredible, one of those extraordinary experiences that only this location could offer. We shot across both 16mm film and digital, the warmth and grain of analogue sitting alongside the clarity of digital,

In the edit, I built the narrative arc from the ground up, weaving together characters and stories, drawing real texture from that contrast to create a coherent film from this remarkable setting.

Land Rover silhouette against a dramatic orange sunset sky over the Falkland Islands moorland — shot on 16mm film for Connecting The Falklands, Square and Mastercard branded documentary
Falkland Islands coastline under a stormy South Atlantic sky, looking across sheltered water toward distant shores — filmed for Connecting The Falklands, Square and Mastercard
Low angle close-up of a Gentoo penguin on a sandy Falkland Islands beach with the South Atlantic ocean behind — shot on 16mm film for Connecting The Falklands
Aerial drone view of Stanley, capital of the Falkland Islands — showing colourful houses, the red church and harbour, filmed for Connecting The Falklands, Square and Mastercard
Title card for Connecting The Falklands — a branded documentary about small businesses in the Falkland Islands, produced for Square and Mastercard
Close-up of a Land Rover windscreen reflecting a vivid pink and orange sunset sky over the Falkland Islands — 16mm film still from Connecting The Falklands, Square and Mastercard
Falkland Islands small business owner seated in front of a Falkland Islands map — a subject from Connecting The Falklands, branded documentary for Square and Mastercard
Hand holding freshly foraged wild berries in the Falkland Islands filmed for Connecting The Falklands, a branded documentary about small businesses for Square and Mastercard

The Premiere

The finished work was unveiled at a virtual London Tech Week event and introduced by Square founder Jack Dorsey, alongside Falkland Islanders Hattie and Kevin Kilmartin, among the very first locals to have their businesses transformed by Square. Over 200 people attended virtually, and the campaign went on to achieve a reach of 223 million and more than 120 pieces of press coverage. For the businesses themselves, the impact was concrete: 80% of annual revenue now flowing through Square.

The Film

Connecting The Falklands is part of Square's Connecting Communities series, documenting the real-world impact of bringing accessible payment technology to remote and underserved communities. The finished film lives on Square's website alongside the wider editorial project.

Director: Jane Stockdale

DOP: Max Cutting

Additional: Camera: James Dougan

Editor: James Dougan

Agency: Harvard

Client: Square & Mastercard

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