Black Box Diaries
Young journalist Shiori Ito embarks on a courageous investigation of her own sexual assault in an improbable attempt to prosecute her high-profile offender. Her quest becomes a landmark case in Japan, exposing the country’s outdated judicial and societal systems.
When 28-year-old aspiring journalist Shiori Ito goes public in May 2017 with her rape allegation by
then Prime Minister Shinzo Abe’s closest journalist and biographer, she feels she has no other
choice in order to change Japan’s antiquated sexual assault laws. Her press conference shocks the
public in a society where speaking up on such matters is considered shameful. Within days, Shiori is
swept into the center of Japanese politics — the right wing views her as a threat to bring down the
Abe government and the left hails her a hero for the same reason. Death threats, cyberbullying, and
hate mail take Shiori into a downward spiral. When she files a civil case, the accused rages all-out
war against her. Determined not to set a bad example for other victims, Shiori pushes forward with
her case and resolves to publish a book about her experience.
Directed by herself with the most personal of material, BLACK BOX DIARIES captures Shiori’s
tumultuous, heart-wrenching, and ultimately triumphant journey, going behind the headlines to reveal
what has been like to walk in her shoes. The documentary reveals the personal toll of a society’s
web of politics, media, and technology on the humanity of its individuals. Being both victim and
journalist investigating her own case, the documentary shows that what Shiori did was not only to
create social change but ultimately to keep herself alive.
Regie
Shiori Ito, born in Kanagawa, is a Japanese journalist, author, and filmmaker. After studying photography and journalism in New York, she first worked in the United States and Italy before returning to Japan. In 2017, she published the book Black Box about her rape by an influential journalist. The book became the basis for her award-winning and Oscar-nominated documentary BLACK BOX DIARIES. Ito emerged as a central voice of Japan’s #MeToo movement and has received numerous international honors, including the Free Press Association of Japan Award (2018) and the title “Journalist of the Year” at the One Young World Summit (2022). In 2020 Time Magazine included her in its list of the 100 most influential people worldwide. With BLACK BOX DIARIES, which premiered at the Sundance Film Festival, Ito presents her first feature-length film.