The Blue Light

A modern couple arrives at a mountain inn in Santa Maria. They notice a mysterious, cameo-style photo of a woman and ask the innkeeper who she is. The moment hints at a frame narrative that will unfold.

The innkeeper sends a boy to fetch a book containing Junta's story. He opens a very large book to the title page, launching the tale within the tale. The present-day scene fades as Junta's story takes over.

Junta lives in purposeful solitude at the turn of the century, apart from the villagers. She roams the mountains with only Guzzi the shepherd boy for company. Her simple, innocent demeanor masks a mystic atmosphere around her.

When Junta comes to town, the villagers chase her away as they fear her feral presence. They suspect she is responsible for the youth deaths because she climbs the mountain unscathed while others fall. The town's mistrust isolates Junta further.

On full moon nights, a crack in a prominent mountain reveals a grotto filled with blue crystals. Junta treats this luminous space as sacred, a place of refuge and wonder. The grotto's glow casts an otherworldly spell over her.

The crystals' glow hypnotizes the village's young men, who are drawn toward the grotto. One by one they attempt the climb and perish under supernatural circumstances. Junta remains seemingly untouched, her affinity with the place fueling the town's superstition.

Vigo, a painter from the city, travels to Santa Maria and witnesses Junta being harassed. He saves her from the villagers and immediately falls in love, despite speaking only German and her Italian.

Vigo follows Junta to the cabin she shares with Guzzi and decides to stay. Their relationship grows in a quiet, chaste atmosphere, limited by the language barrier. Their bond is built on gesture and mutual fascination.

On the next full moon, Junta climbs the mountain again and Vigo, mesmerized by the blue light, follows her. He reaches the grotto and witnesses Junta in a trance among the crystals.

Thinking to help Junta, Vigo tells the villagers how to reach the grotto and how the crystals could bring wealth. Junta is unaware of his plan and misinterprets his actions as betrayal.

Junta discovers that the crystals and tools are missing from the grotto, realising the outsider's influence enabled the theft. The sacred space is desecrated by greed, and Junta's trust in Vigo shatters. The villagers celebrate their supposed fortune.

Junta's world collapses as the loss of the crystals drives her toward despair. She descends the mountains and falls to her death. Vigo finds her among montane flowers and grieves the loss of the woman he loved.

The film returns to the opening frame, ending with the modern-day scene. The final page of the book depicts Junta exonerated and her memory celebrated.