Paula Callahan and John Bridle have given the best years of their life to people in crisis situations all over the world. Over 15 years they worked for Doctors Without Borders in the most difficult circumstances. How do they survive back home?Paula Callahan and John Bridle, both from Canada, have given the best years of their life to people in crisis situations all over the world. Over 15 years they worked for Doctors Without Borders in the most difficult circumstances. Both of them come from a wealthy environment. Paula sensed the urge to help the needed since childhood, John suddenly changed his views when he was diagnosed with Multiple Scleroses. They met, fell in love and became a team. They travelled Somalia, Palestine, Kenya, Afghanistan, East Timor, almost every hotbed in the world.
Missions that mostly ended the same way; being evacuated 'on the tail of a Hercules' as John put it in one of his letters, to a safer environment. But they signed up to a new crisis area even so many occasions. They got addicted to war.
This film observes the changes taking place in Paula and John. The extremely disturbing experiences would finally destroy them. They were not able to stop their devastating lives.
Finally they returned to Vancouver Island but they have no rest. They feel alienated from life in the Western world. Both Paula and John suffer from feelings of guilt for leaving the people who needed them behind. Life hits them like a sledge hammer now they´ve finally stopped and have time to reflect.
Paula works for the Canadian government, but feels completely useless in North America. John is lost and is working on the mainland as a construction worker. He isolates himself completely and onlu sends Paula letters every now and than. Two of their colleagues committed suicide lately.