In Mexico, Father Kino is venerated like a saint, in Italy a museum has been dedicated to him, in Washington his statue for the history of the state of Arizona stands in the Capitol, only in Germany is he almost unknown.
The film shows Father Kino's life in four parts. The first part, Career of an Explorer, tells of Father Kino's childhood in Tyrol, his serious illness, his entry into the Jesuit order, his training as a scientist at the Bavarian royal court and his efforts to go on a mission.
The second part, Astronomer in the Desert, is set in Mexico and the USA. Father Kino was the first astronomer to carry out research in Arizona. With the help of the astrolabes he developed himself, he produced maps and worked as a royal cartographer for the Spanish crown. Father Kino's legacy is continued by the Jesuits today with their work as scientists and priests at the Vatican Observatory of Arizona.
The third part, Missionary between the Fronts, reports on Father Kino's founding of the mission stations in what are now northern Mexico, Arizona and California. As a fighter for the rights of the Indians, he was torn between the interests of the Spanish crown, the church hierarchy and those of the indigenous peoples. But Father Kino was not just a missionary. He undertook several large expeditions into hitherto completely unknown territory. In the process, he discovered that Lower California was not an island, as had been assumed, but was connected to the mainland.
The fourth part, Traces of a Life, shows how much he is still anchored in people's consciousness today.