In 2017, Japanese journalist Shiori Itō publicly accused a prominent media executive (and associate of former Prime Minister Shinzo Abe) of sexual assault, and published a bestselling memoir detailing her case — Black Box, a book credited with sparking the #MeToo movement in Japan.

Black Box Diaries is a survivor’s real-time investigation of her own sexual assault — and includes raw video diaries (shot on Itō’s iPhone), surreptitious audio recordings of police negligence, and vérité courtroom footage. Itō documents her courageous struggle to navigate Japan’s patriarchal judiciary and antiquated sex crimes laws (proven lack of consent was insufficient) and quest for justice.

Reviews

“A stunning, effective tale of reclaiming victimhood…Itō shows us all that it is possible to survive something that feels insurmountable, and we should be grateful for her towering example.” – Lex Briscuso, The Wrap

"That raw first-person perspective, untempered by the interests of another filmmaker and given narrative rigor by Itō’s substantial journalistic skills, makes BLACK BOX DIARIES not just a damning analysis of patriarchal power structures in contemporary Japan, but a vivid evocation of the day-to-day psychological swings and breaks that come with living as a survivor." – Guy Lodge, Variety