For those who appreciate cinema that pushes boundaries, this film is awesome for several key reasons.

The narrative structure of Amor Estranho Amor is deceptively simple but emotionally resonant. The story is told through the eyes of Hugo (played by Marcelo Ribeiro), a middle-aged man who returns to his family’s estate to settle affairs. As he wanders through the empty rooms, he is flooded with memories of 1937, when he was just a 12-year-old boy.

The narrative of Amor Estranho Amor is framed as a recollection. An adult man named Hugo reflects on a pivotal moment from his childhood in 1937, right on the eve of political upheaval in Brazil.

The English dub removes the “homework” feeling of reading subtitles, allowing you to get lost in the stunning cinematography—the sweat on skin, the mosquito nets billowing in the tropical heat, the period costumes. You can feel the story rather than read it.

Directed by Walter Hugo Khouri, this Brazilian erotic drama follows an adult man reminiscing about 48 pivotal hours in 1937 when, as a 12-year-old, he visited his mother in an upscale brothel. The film stars Vera Fischer and Xuxa Meneghel and has a reputation for its controversial subject matter. Dubbed vs. Subtitled Versions

The English dub, while changing the original language, surprisingly complements this dreamlike quality. The vocal performances in the dubbed version carry a certain melodramatic weight that fits the film’s operatic emotions. For international audiences, the dubbing allows the viewer to focus entirely on the lush cinematography and the expressive faces of the cast without the distraction of reading subtitles, drawing them deeper into the claustrophobic, hothouse atmosphere of the brothel.