Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film

Pure Nonfiction: Inside Documentary Film


204: Shiori Ito on "Black Box Diaries"

October 24, 2024

Shiori Ito shocked Japan in 2017 when she publicly accused a prominent journalist with close ties to the Prime Minister of raping her. Both the police and her family tried to dissuade her from pursuing the case. She felt like there was a "black box" of cover up. She broke the silence and stigma, first by writing a memoir and now directing the film "Black Box Diaries" about her experiences trying to speak her truth, despite enormous backlash and death threats. The film premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and was acquired by MTV Documentary Films for distribution. Pure Nonfiction host Thom Powers interviewed Shiori in March during the CPH:DOX festival in Copenhagen.