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Black Box Diaries

Director

Shiori Ito

Executive Producers

Robina Riccitiello, Josh Peters, Mitsunobu Kawamura

Producers

Eric Nyari, Hanna Aqvilin, Shiori Ito

Editor

Ema Ryan Yamazaki

Cinematographers

Hanna Aqvillin, Yuta Okamura, Shiori Ito, Keke Shiratama, Yuichiro Otsuka

Young journalist Shiori Ito embarks on a courageous investigation of her own sexual assault in an improbable attempt to prosecute her high-profile offender. Black Box Diaries is a response to the authorities’ refusal to pursue her case in a meaningful manner and more importantly, a way to document her anxiety about the backlash that follows. This film is a raw and personal journey from the perspective of a victim piecing together the crime she experienced. An impressively crafted, concise piece of filmmaking, Black Box Diaries is guided by a strong sense of purpose with unexpected moments of joy. Shiori Ito’s bravery exposes Japan’s outdated judicial system and offers hope to others.

Post-screening discussion with editor and co-producer Ema Ryan Yamazaki, and producer Eric Nyari. moderated by Leslie Combemale, Senior contributor, the Alliance of Women Film Journalists.

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Shiori Ito

Director, Black Box Diaries

Shiori Ito is a journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker. Her primary focus is gender-based human rights issues. She co-founded Hanashi Films, a Tokyo and London-based production company that has collaborated with NHK, BBC, and Al Jazeera. In 2017, Shiori wrote the book Black Box, based on her own experience of rape. The book reveals the sexism in Japan’s society and institutions and won the Free Press Association of Japan Award for Best Journalism in 2018. It has been translated into several languages. In 2020, Time magazine listed her as one of the 100 most influential people in the world. Black Box Diaries is her feature documentary debut.