SHIORI ITŌ BRIEF INTERVIEW: Making 'Black Box Diaries', and Finding Stray Cats
A First Interview for the PWTRE Blog
I had the opportunity to send Shiori Itō, the creator and star of Black Box Diaries (2024), a few questions, personal and professional.
Here they are.
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Alex Southey, Play with the Rabbit Ears Film Blog: From a filmmaking standpoint, I wonder if you were influenced by any documentaries while making and/or editing Black Box Diaries. Obviously, the impetus for the documentary came from wanting answers and justice for yourself, but were there any guiding past documentaries you felt helped structure this film?
Shiori Ito: I was inspired by two documentaries in particular: For Sama (2019) and Strong Island (2017). Both are deeply personal stories where the directors are also the subjects. This approach was very meaningful to me because it showed that filmmakers can authentically tell their own stories, bridging personal experiences with a universal narrative.
AS: Have you noticed any differences in how audiences perceive the film? Just as an example, do Japanese audiences see Black Box Diaries differently than the US or Canada?
SI: I’m not sure yet because we haven’t had the opportunity to screen the film in Japan.
AS: It's clear why you lead this documentary in addition to being its subject. I'm wondering if you'd ever be interested in making documentaries that feature you as a filmmaker without you also being the subject?
SI: Absolutely. While Black Box Diaries is my first feature-length film, I’ve made short-form documentaries for TV and online that focus entirely on other people’s stories. I would love to explore that further.
AS: How do you relax?
SI: I practice yoga, enjoy the sauna whenever I can, and if I come across a cat, I always take the time to chat with them.
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Cool stuff Alex!