Nigel Walker

“Well, for the longest time afterwards, I mean, I had a recurring dream that I was executed on the side of the road and fell into the sewage canal outside the gate. That gradually kind of disappeared. I only really began to process a lot of this stuff when I went back. It was really important for me to get back as soon as I could. So as soon as commercial flights started, I went back. And up until that point, I was kind of a zombie. And it was when I got back in December, when I was able to reconnect with friends and see that they were okay and kind of go through the decisions we made to leave and that these were the right decisions. But when I got back, I was obsessed with either trying to get my friends out or going back to help them. And nothing else mattered.”

My name is Nigel Walker. I’ve worked in Afghanistan since 2004. As a photographer and filmmaker, I help Kabul-based organizations communicate their work to international audiences. Much of my work focuses on conflict, global health, and scientific discovery. My investigative work about political violence in Cote d’Ivoire was used in a war crimes tribunal at the International Criminal Court in The Hague, where I testified against the country’s president. As a commercial director, I collaborate with American universities to document their research and scientific breakthroughs. I have directed more than 70 projects. Today, I’m based in California.

Warning: the following content may contain triggering and/or sensitive material depicting war & violence