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, Ito 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 her 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, she pushes forward with her case and resolves to publish a book about her experience.

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. In 2017, she 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 a number of languages. In 2020, she was listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by “Time Magazine”. BLACK BOX DIARIES is her feature documentary debut.

Filmography: 2014 BLACK BOX DIARIES

Awards (selection): Audience Award (Sarajevo Film Festival, Bosnia and Herzegovina 2024)