
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 20: Hanna Avqilin, Shiori Ito, and Ema Ryan Yamazaki attend the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Black Box Diaries premiere at Prospector Square Theatre. (Photo by Marc Sagliocco/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)
By Stephanie Ornelas
You would think that the word funny wouldn't be used at all when talking about a story as harrowing as Black Box Diaries, but director Shiori Ito tells her story with such class and bravery - that's just the kind of person she is.
In her documentary, which premiered at Prospector Square Theatre at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival in Park City, Utah, on January 20, Ito puts a lens on herself as she embarks on a bold investigation of her own sexual assault in an attempt to bring down her high-profile abuser.
This is a film about my own rape investigation, but it's comedy. And it was all her job, she says, pointing to editor Ema Ryan Yamazaki. We wouldn't have a film if it wasn't for this editor.
Yamazaki explains that Ito didn't have any memory of her recordings and didn't go back to listen to them or watch them. So, I sat for a few months and watched everything every day, just crying and being shocked. I thought, How would I even show this to her?' Yamazaki says. But she knew she had to, and that they needed to have a conversation about it. I'm glad I was able to help tell your story, she says to Ito.
Ito already had written a memoir back in 2017, and she was ready to take on the next project: a feature documentary. But what made her want to tell her story in this way?
We obviously knew the police weren't doing a great job, she says. They just [swept] everything under the rug. When I went public and saw the reaction of society, I saw how the media are not trying to cover it. And I said, 'Well let's just do the story. Why not?' So I decided to keep documenting.
Ito explains that the hardest part for her was post-production. As a journalist, it's so taboo to talk about my own story, and I didn't know how much emotion to put in.
When asked how she went about assembling her film team, Ito explains, [Producer] Hanna [Aqvilin] came as a human shield. If you want to make a controversial film, bring [someone who is] Swedish, she laughs with the audience.
When we first started this journey, it was before Me Too. So, imagine: She was one of the first to go public in Japan, chimes in Aqvilin. Listen, I'm Swedish, so I was a little bit shocked. And we just continued to film because we knew this was important. We didn't know if this was supposed to be a film because it was so hard. But you never ever hesitated, she says to Ito. You were so determined. You never gave up, ever. And I'm so proud and amazed that you are so brave.
Ito gave a nod to producer Eric Nyari: Every time we had a difficult night, Eric made sure that I had my three glasses of wine, she smiles. Without him, this wouldn't have happened, so thank you, Eric.
We went from boxed wine to natural wine, Nyari laughs, as does the audience.
This was clearly a serious film but as Yamazaki says, I mean she's so funny, right? It's unavoidable. There's so much incredible footage, but what was left was something I felt that the world has never seen before. There were things that made me laugh, maybe when I shouldn't have, but I watched it 100 times and it still makes me chuckle, especially when you get to know her as a person. It was impossible to make this film without those moments. Because as you see today, that's who she is. Serious films can be funny too. People are complex, and I think films can [also] be that way.
As the documentary progresses, viewers witness Ito's story become a landmark case in Japan, as she works to expose the country's outdated judicial system. And what helped her get through it was knowing that she had a community behind her.
Even my own community, my own family, my own circle of friends in Japan were not ready for this. But I knew that a place like Sundance exists. I always say there's another world who will always stand with you, who will always believe you.
To see more from the 2024 Festival, click here.
More from Sundance Institute
04/07/2025
By Lucy Spicer
Editor's note: We are deeply saddened by the passing of Robe...
02/07/2025
Hege Wik and Odin appear in FOLKTALES by Heidi Ewing and Rachel Grady, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institut...
02/07/2025
(Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)
By Patty Consolazio
This one's for any person who's ever felt put down, left out, marginaliz...
27/06/2025
By Jessica Herndon
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Fest...
26/06/2025
Louis Greatorex, Amrou Al-Kadhi and Bilal Hasana. (Stephen Lovekin/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)
By Veronika Lee Claghorn
The world premiere of Amr...
25/06/2025
Aubrey Plaza getting ready for My Old Ass (photo by George Pimentel/Shutterstock...
25/06/2025
On the set of Leslie McCleave's The Shamrocks with Mount Timpanogos as a backdrop during the 1999 Directors Lab. Photo by Sandria Miller...
24/06/2025
John August with fellow Kibwe Tavares at Sundance Institute's 2016 June Screenwriters Lab. Photo by Brandon Cruz for Sundance Institute...
24/06/2025
The Comprehensive and Customized Program Supports and Sustains Mid-Career Directors & DPs with Support from Netflix...
20/06/2025
(L-R) Marlee Matlin, Troy Kotsur, and Shoshannah Stern attend the 2025 Sundance ...
20/06/2025
Ignite Lab Will Kick Off a Year of Opportunities for Emerging Filmmakers Ages 18 to 25 Marking the Program's 10th Year...
20/06/2025
Zackary Drucker attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Enigma at the Egyptian Theatre on January 28, 2025, in Park City. (Photo by Andrew H. Walk...
18/06/2025
Kasi Lemmons with fellow Daniel Kaluuya at Sundance Institute's 2016 January Screenwriters Lab. Photo by Brandon Cruz for Sundance Institute...
18/06/2025
Sam Feder at Heightened Scrutiny premiere (photo by Robin Marshall / Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)
By Bailey Pennick
Editor's note: Since the...
17/06/2025
Top L-R: The Dating Game, All That's Left of You ( )
Center L-R: Come See Me in the Good Light, Omaha, Rebuilding
Bottom L-R: Selena y Los Din...
17/06/2025
PARK CITY, UTAH - JANUARY 20: River Gallo attends the 2024 Sundance Film Festival Ponyboi premiere at the Library Center Theatre on January 20, 2024, in Park ...
16/06/2025
By Bailey Pennick
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
13/06/2025
(L-R) Lindsay Utz, Michelle Walshe, and The Right Honourable Dame Jacinda Ardern attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of Prime Minister at Eccles T...
10/06/2025
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. Whi...
07/06/2025
By Bailey Pennick
Alex Ross Perry is in the middle of a thought. It's not following just one strand, though. It's a textured and tangent-filled journey...
05/06/2025
(L-R) Cristina Costantini, Tam O'Shaughnessy, Bear Ride, and Lauren Cioffi attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of SALLY at The Ray Theatre on ...
04/06/2025
By Jessica Herndon
The Tribeca Festival is back, bringing a whirlwind of world ...
03/06/2025
Sally Ride appears in SALLY by Cristina Costantini, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by NASA....
03/06/2025
PARK CITY UT, June 2, 2025 - The nonprofit Sundance Institute announced today th...
03/06/2025
[Kelly Marie Tran, Lily Gladstone, Han Gi-Chan, and Bowen Yang appear in The We...
29/05/2025
Director Erica Tremblay on the set of Little Chief' during the 2018 Native Filmmakers Lab. Photo by Tytianna Harris for Sundance Institute...
28/05/2025
Creative advisor Joan Darling and artistic director Gyula Gazdag chat with fello...
24/05/2025
(L-R) Senior Manager and Festival Programmer Adam Montgomery and Matt Wolf attend the Sundance Film Festival premiere of Pee-wee as Himself January 23 at The ...
23/05/2025
Elijah Wood and Melanie Lynskey star in Macon Blair's award-winning film I ...
20/05/2025
By Bailey Pennick
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
15/05/2025
PARK CITY, UTAH JANUARY 20: Skye P. Marshall, Omari Hardwick, Cory Hardrict, Qasim Basir, Dana Gourrier, and Amin Joseph attend the 2023 Sundance Film Festiva...
15/05/2025
Director of photography Benjamin Kasulke, actors Katie Henney and Hannah Marks, ...
12/05/2025
The Sundance Film Festival: CDMX 2025 program is composed of 15 feature films an...
08/05/2025
A sinister fairy infiltrates a desperate family in Kenneth Dagatan's In My Mother's Skin, which premiered at the 2023 Sundance Film Festival. Photo co...
05/05/2025
Shari Sebbens attends the 2024 Sundance Film Festival The Moogai premiere at The Ray Theatre in Park City, Utah. (Photo by Donayle West/Shutterstock for Sunda...
02/05/2025
The 85th annual Peabody Awards were a special moment for Sundance Institute-supp...
02/05/2025
The 46th annual News & Documentary Emmys are just around the corner, and this ye...
01/05/2025
Paul Reubens appears in Pee-wee as Himself, an official selection of the 2025 Sundance Film Festival. Courtesy of Sundance Institute | photo by Michael Ochs A...
30/04/2025
Film elements held at the Deluxe warehouse in March of 2015. Photo by Luis Silva...
29/04/2025
(L-R) Tim Rarus, Bridgetta Bourne, Nyle DiMarco, Jerry Covell, Greg Hlibok, and Davis Guggenheim attend the premiere of Deaf President Now! at Eccles Theatre ...
25/04/2025
Emily Watson, Isaiah Saxon, Helena Zengel, and Finn Wolfhard at The Legend of Ochi premiere (photo by Soul Brother/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)...
24/04/2025
We're huge fans of shining a spotlight on the documentaries that empower, en...
22/04/2025
Chloe Sevigny at the Magic Farm premiere (photo by Michael Hurcomb/Shutterstock for Sundance Film Festival)...
21/04/2025
By Lucy Spicer
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festival is having a front-row seat for the bright future of independent filmmaking. Whi...
18/04/2025
Director Andrew Ahn, alongside actors Youn Yuh-jung and Joan Chen, takes a photo of the audience after the premiere of his film The Wedding Banquet at Eccles ...
17/04/2025
Emilie Blichfeldt attends the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of The Ugly ...
16/04/2025
It's an understatement to say that the Peabody Awards are major. The winners...
14/04/2025
By Bailey Pennick
One of the most exciting things about the Sundance Film Festi...
11/04/2025
(L-R) Kevin Macdonald and Sam Rice-Edwards attend the 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere of One to One: John & Yoko at The Ray Theatre on January 23, 2025, ...
09/04/2025
The cast and crew of The Librarians attend the film's 2025 Sundance Film Festival premiere at The Ray Theatre. (Photo by Robin Marshall/Shutterstock for S...