In July 2010, Karen Woo, a brilliant young British doctor, set off to the remote province of Nuristan, Afghanistan, on a medical aid mission.

She was due to marry her fiancé, Paddy Smith, later the following month. But on August 5th, two days before she was due to fly back to England, Karen was murdered along with nine of her colleagues, in the worst attack on humanitarian workers in Afghanistan for over thirty years.

Four months later, Karen’s fiancé Paddy returns to Kabul and retraces Karen’s steps, visiting some of the healthcare projects she was passionate about, as well as meeting people who can shed more light on the murders. While working as a doctor in Afghanistan, Karen had also been making her own documentary film about the desperate need for better medical care in the war-torn country.

The Life and Loss of Karen Woo combines Karen’s own footage with Paddy’s search to understand what happened to her, as well as contributions from Karen’s family and former colleagues, to create a compelling portrait of an extraordinary, charismatic and complex young woman, motivated by a desire to make a difference.