In a rural South American town, the wife of Esteban, an Indigenous man, becomes indebted to a merchant after she buys a TV. To help his wife, Esteban is told by the merchant Onofrio that he must kill a jaguar that has prevented construction in another town called Barrio Carolina. Esteban hesitates for many reasons. Despite being an experienced hunter, Esteban was taught by his father not to kill black jaguars because they are considered sacred by their culture. In addition, his love for his wife has declined due to her passion for modern technology. Regardless, Esteban accepts the job and goes to Barrio Carolina. In Barrio Carolina, he encounters a mysterious woman named Miranda who asks him how he will kill the jaguar. He says he will take an herb to put himself in a trance. When Esteban is in this trance, he expects that the jaguar will inspect his body, and he will then stab the animal. Later that night, the jaguar appears but seems to know Esteban's plan and attacks him. Esteban survives by hiding in a house until the jaguar leaves. The following day, the same woman appears, and Esteban realizes that she is the jaguar and can change from a human to a jaguar. The woman tells him that she is concerned that modern technology is ruining society. Next, she tells him that the gods have opened a door in this barrio for people to escape into a better world. She begs Esteban to join her. Esteban initially declines, but the two develop a romantic relationship based on their attitudes towards modernization. When soldiers from the rural village arrive to kill the jaguar, the jaguar attacks the men. Esteban defends the jaguar and kills the soldiers. The jaguar jumps into the ocean and swims to the magical door to the other world and Esteban follows her.