Content warning: The following article contains details of sexual assault that could be triggering.
In 2015, Shiori Ito, at the time a 25-year-old intern at Reuters, attended a dinner to discuss job prospects with a prominent journalist. What followed that night unfolded into a seven-year sexual assault investigation, becoming a landmark case that spurred legal and systemic changes in Japan’s approach to sexual crime.
Ito’s documentary, “Black Box Diaries,” is a direct evolution of her successful memoir “Black Box.” It meticulously captures every grueling detail of the laborious criminal investigation process, revealing the resistance faced at every turn. Ito’s decision to go public with her case in 2017 was met with intense backlash from both the public and the police.
In her memoir, Ito writes, “If I waited for someone else to speak out, things would never change.” This unwavering will for change and the power of narrating her own story fuel both the memoir and the documentary. Ito grapples with maintaining her identity as a human being, a journalist, and now, in bold letters, a victim.
The film opens with a message reaching out to those in the world who have also experienced sexual violence. In Japan, it is estimated that 70% of victims do not seek any help at all from support centers, and only 4% of victims come forward, often anonymously.
Ito immerses the audience in the realities of crime investigation, weaving time-consuming formal procedures with her candid, real-time reactions. Her report is initially rejected due to one minor inconsistency, and even when progress is finally made, the principal investigator is removed from the case for “doing a good job.” Her press conference is quickly stifled, the arrest is halted without reason, and when her case is ultimately refused, she starts over again with a civil case, all the while enduring public slander, threats, and constant criticism. The labyrinthine challenges are enough to deter…
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