The Presence of the Past is a modern morality play, an exploration of guilt, and forgiveness, and faith. When an airplane flies into the mountain on the Italian island of Ischia, Adolfo (the town butcher) and two companions loot the plane and bodies. It's 1947, and the island is very poor and primitive, and the crash is seen as a gift from the gods. At first, Adolfo reassures himself that anyone would have done what he did. But his doubts fester, and he is forced to accept that his soul has been stained. Adolfo is a victim himself, although he does his best to forget what was done to him. Brother Renato, a young priest, learns Adolfo's secret. His challenge is to reconcile everything he's been taught with his conscience and with what he learns about forgiveness and the island's pagan culture.