Woman's light

Michelle is at the airport waiting for a flight to Caracas , but suddenly changes her plans and returns to the city by taxi. Getting out of the car, he encounters a woman who drops a shopping bag on the ground. Michelle cannot pay the taxi driver because he has only cash dollars, and the services of the taxi driver are kindly paid by Lydia. Michelle and Lydia go into the cafe so that Michelle writes her a check. In a cafe with Michel, a lonely and sick dog trainer named Galba speaks, and Michel out of compassion pretends to be his Las Vegas acquaintances, although he had never seen him before and had never been there. Lydia told Michelle that six months ago she had lost her daughter in a car accident. Michelle admits that his wife left him a long time ago. Lydia leaves Michelle her coordinates to meet when Michelle returns from Caracas.

Michelle again goes to the airport, where he is trying to fly by any flight, but as far from France as possible, so the airport security service even suspects him of fleeing the country for criminal reasons. In the end, Michelle booked a ticket in Yaoundé , but this time did not go to the landing, but came home to Lydia. In bed, Lydia confesses to Michelle that she does not see the point in life and wants to die, and asks Michelle to leave. Michel goes to Galba, who performs with his number in the variety show that evening. Galba worries about his old poodle, because he suspects that he may die before him. Michelle promises Galba to take care of the poodle. Michelle is horrified by Galba’s number with a dancing poodle and a monkey; he calls Lydia and asks her to come to him.

Lydia and Michelle decide to consider their brief connection an act of mutual assistance. Lydia brings Michelle to the birthday of her husband Alain and introduces him as her friend. The birthday man himself is nowhere to be seen. Lydia later brings Michelle to Alain’s room, who lost his speech as a result of the accident. Michelle and Lydia spend the night together and are about to fly away the next morning. Michelle, who had forgotten his travel bag at Galba, in a telephone conversation finds out that he had died a poodle. Michelle answers him that his wife also died. Confused, Lydia suggests Michelle go to his house together. At the house of Michel are ambulances and police. Michelle’s wife is really dead. Terminally ill, she kicked Michel out of the apartment to commit suicide. The police and wife’s relatives suspect Michel of murder until his wife’s farewell letter is revealed.

Lydia brings Michel to the hotel where Galba lives, so that he picks up his bag. Michelle finds Galba dead, while a poodle and a monkey perform their dance number. Michelle escapes from the hotel, but does not find Lydia's car on the street. Michelle meets her housekeeper at Lydia’s house. Lydia calls him to let her know that she’s leaving and is already at the airport. Michelle promises to wait for her.

• Yves Montand - Michelle
• Romy Schneider - Lydia
• Romolo Valley - Galba
• Lilya Kedrova - Sonya
• Roberto Benigni - Bartender
• Heinz Bennent - Georges
• Dieter Shidor - Sven Svensson
• Catherine Allegre - Prostitute
• Francois Perrault - Alain
• Jean Renault - Police Officer

• The Light of a Woman on the Internet Movie Database  
• “The Light of a Woman” on allmovie  
• filmportal.de