After a sudden and violent takeover by the Khmer Rouge army, there is a mass exodus of the city. A young pharmacy student is held captive at a work camp, along with countless others, in a world turned upside down. Overnight, the brutal Khmer Rouge army have new rules for all citizens: medicine, education, money and family ties are now illegal. The girl finds the strength to survive day by day with the support of her sister and brother.

Far away, in another camp, a mother longs to find her three missing children. A prison escape, a storm on a lake and a providential meeting are all twists of fate along the path to find her surviving family. But with no money and no one to help, what will become of them?

Nearly 40 years after the fall of the Khmer Rouge, The Girl Who Said Goodbye is a true story of a brave young girl, her strong mother, and the selfless love of her brothers and sisters.