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I still get a wee feeling of dread before watching a film with subtitles. It means paying more attention, which, when you’re me, is no small task. I’ve been lucky, recently. Between the exceptional Tomboy and the devastating So Hard to Forget (directed by Malu de Martino), the feeling is starting to ebb.

So Hard to Forget is set in Brazil and is therefore in Portuguese with English subtitles.

It’s the story of three friends, all grieving in their own ways and in very different circumstances. All of them are grieving the end of a relationship — one through death and the other two through breakups. The first character we meet, Julia (Ana Paula Arosio), is an English Literature professor who has recently been left (“abandoned”) by her girlfriend, Antonia.

So Hard To Forget is a quiet story full of the uncomfortable stretching and growing that comes with moving on. It’s about the friendships that force themselves on you, and that you are forever grateful for, in the end. And it’s about the darkness too, and the way it changes you if you let it. Julia struggles with depression (and the awful things people say to her throughout) but ultimately, her friends pull her through, as she has helped them in the past.

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The film is largely calm and quiet but it’s not boring. While it does seem very low key (nobody makes an action film about depression), the plot keeps moving at an admirable pace. The actress who plays Julia is stunning and compelling. The story itself is just plain interesting. It’s not a date movie unless you are ready to explore the horrible ways you’re likely to hurt each other, but it’s definitely a film to watch with old and loyal friends, or alone, but with a glass of wine and some memories, and a bit of hope.

So Hard To Forget is available on DVD from Peccadilo Pictures from June 4th 2012.