Join the University of Iowa’s Center for Asian and Pacific Studies (CAPS) and the Japanese Program for a screening and discussion with acclaimed journalist and filmmaker Shiori Ito.
Black Box Diaries follows director and journalist Ito’s courageous investigation of her own sexual assault and her improbable attempt to prosecute a high-profile offender. Unfolding like a thriller, the film combines secret investigative recordings, vérité shooting, and emotional first-person video to highlight the challenges of seeking justice in Japan’s judicial and societal systems. Ito’s quest becomes a landmark case in Japan, exposing the country’s desperately outdated judicial and societal systems. Ito will participate in a post-screening Q&A.
The film made history in 2025 as a nominee for Best Documentary Feature at the 97th Academy Awards, making Ito the first Japanese director ever honored in that category.
This event is co-sponsored by CAPS; the Japanese Program; the UI Center for Human Rights; the UI Department of Languages, Linguistics, Literatures, and Cultures; and the UI Department of Cinematic Arts.
About the Director
Shiori Ito is a journalist, writer, and documentary filmmaker whose work focuses on gender-based human rights issues. For her contribution to Japan’s #MeToo movement, she was listed as one of the 100 most influential people in the world by Time magazine in 2020. Black Box Diaries is her feature documentary debut.
Individuals with disabilities are encouraged to attend all University of Iowa–sponsored events. If you are a person with a disability who requires a reasonable accommodation in order to participate in this program, please contact Dongwang Liu in advance at 319-335-1305 or dongwang-liu@uiowa.edu.