The story is told through the memories of an adult man reflecting on his stay at a high-class brothel owned by his mother in 1937. The "strange love" of the title refers to the complex, often unsettling sexual awakenings and power dynamics the protagonist witnessed as a young boy. The "VHS" Notoriety and Legal Battle

The VHS release included a unique subtitle track for the English-title Love Strange Love . The subtitles are notoriously literal, creating strange, poetic dissonance. For example, the Portuguese line "Você é muito jovem para entender" (You are too young to understand) is translated as "You are very young to undress" – a typo that accidentally amplifies the film’s themes.

Young Hugo (played by the same actor) is a 12-year-old boy living in a high-class brothel run by his grandmother. It is a world of opulent decadence, where powerful politicians and wealthy men mingle with beautiful, melancholic women. Hugo is largely ignored by the adults, left to wander the hallways and secretly observe the intimate encounters that take place behind closed doors.

: For years, the film was only available via low-quality bootleg VHS tapes, as commercial distribution was suppressed.

: Sent to live with his mother by his grandmother, young Hugo (Marcelo Ribeiro) is thrust into a world of adult secrets and sexual awakening.