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Japan Times
04-03-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Can Shiori Ito's documentary open Japan's black box?
By chronicling her harrowing search for justice in the documentary 'Black Box Diaries,' Shiori Ito exposes Japan's systemic sexual violence and disregard for victims. The film traces Ito's legal battle against Noriyuki Yamaguchi — the former Washington bureau chief of TBS who Ito accused of rape in 2015 — all the way to her victory in a civil case that was finalized in 2022. 'Black Box Diaries' has been released worldwide and its global resonance has earned it multiple international awards and, most notably, an Academy Award nomination for best documentary feature film. But the documentary cannot yet reach the public most directly implicated.
New York Times
28-02-2025
- Entertainment
- New York Times
In these Documentary Oscar Nominees, Stories That Resonate
Since the best documentary feature category was first established at the Oscars in 1942, the nominees have been like a snapshot of the year: wars and social concerns, heroes and headlines. This year is no exception. On paper, each of the five nominees look as if they're ripped from the headlines, chosen for some metric like 'urgency' or 'timeliness.' But these are no ordinary documentaries. In the past decade, the Academy has gotten much better about nominating nonfiction films that stretch and push at their boundaries, challenging audiences in how they convey their subject matter. Most opt to confront world events through intensely personal stories, and all of them carefully show why their individual stories have far-reaching implications. So, as the 2025 Oscars are upon us, here's a quick guide to the nominated films and why you should watch them. With 'Black Box Diaries' (streaming on Paramount+ with Showtime), the director Shitori Ito takes a courageously personal approach to her biting critique of the handling of sexual assault cases in Japan. In 2017, Ito held a news conference to announce allegations that a prominent Japanese journalist had raped her. In the documentary, she chronicles the fallout of that accusation. The film is both intimate and enraging. As Manohla Dargis wrote in her review, it's 'a tense and tangled crime story, one in which Ito is at once the victim, lead investigator, dogged prosecutor and crusading reporter.' My colleagues and I have written about 'No Other Land' (in select theaters) a lot during the past year. It's probably the most acclaimed documentary of the year, centering on the lives of families who have witnessed their homes, in the occupied West Bank region of Masafer Yatta, be demolished over and over again. Despite its obviously timely story and a directorial team of two Palestinian and two Israeli filmmakers, it hasn't been able to secure a distribution deal in the United States, which is why it isn't available to stream here. If you can see it in a theater, don't overlook how well it's made, mixing home video archives, journalistic footage and conversations between the filmmakers to powerful effect. 'Porcelain War' (in select theaters) has picked up a raft of awards from guilds and critics this season. It, too, looks through the lens of the personal to tell an urgent story — this one about the war in Ukraine. The film centers on Slava Leontyev, who directed the film with Brendan Bellomo, and who is a ceramist as well as a member of a Ukrainian special forces unit. Art and warfare blend in the film, which melds GoPro footage from the battlefield with looks at Leontyev's work, finally landing on a hopeful note about the value of beauty in darkness. If you've seen 'Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat' (streaming on Kino Film Collection and available on demand), you already know it's not personal at all: It's expansive, a sweeping, furious, propulsive dive into history, focusing on the reportedly C.I.A.-led assassination of the Congolese prime minister Patrice Lumumba in 1960. The story moves along at a pace that makes your heart race: It's a thriller, a history lesson and a warning, all in one. 'Sugarcane' (streaming on Hulu and Disney+) taps into history, too — both on a personal and a national level. Julian Brave NoiseCat, who directed the film with Emily Kassie, uses his own painful family history as a jumping-off point for a lyrical, devastating investigative journey into Canada's history of abuse at Catholic residential schools for Indigenous children. 'Sugarcane' will break your heart, and it's also an exemplary documentary for our moment. Personal stories resonate across history and space, and in turn, national and global narratives have real individual consequences.
Japan Times
27-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Japan Times
Oscar-nominated documentaries put Japan under the microscope
An Academy Award nomination is a cause for celebration for anyone, but even more so in the Japanese film industry, where such international honors can be few and far between. This year, Japan has multiple reasons to rejoice, as two Japanese documentary films, Shiori Ito's 'Black Box Diaries' and The nominations are particularly exciting for Tokyo-based Eric Nyari, who co-produced Ito's feature and produced Yamazaki's short film. Hailing from New York and son of the founder of Cineric, a leader in the field of film restoration and preservation, Nyari came to Japan when he was 21, and at age 28, produced his first film, the Atsushi Ogata comedy 'Cast Me If You Can,' in 2009. He has since accumulated 40 producer credits, including Neo Sora's 2024 sci-fi drama '
Yahoo
07-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Oscar-Nominated Doc Features Shine a Light on Dark Topics, International Stories and Global Politics
Based on the feature documentaries nominated for an Academy Award over the last two years, it's clear that if streaming services like Amazon, Apple and Netflix want to be real competitors in the race for The Little Gold Man, they need to start buying or commissioning bold, political last year, the 2025 crop of nominated feature docs all tackle urgent and timely international stories that resonate in today's geopolitical climate. This year's feature nominees are Shiori Ito's 'Black Box Diaries' (MTV Documentary Films); Basel Adra, Rachel Szor, Hamdan Ballal and Yuval Abraham's 'No Other Land' (no U.S. distribution); Brendan Bellomo and Slava Leontyev's 'Porcelain War' (Picturehouse service deal); Johan Grimonprez's 'Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat' (Kino Lorber); and Julian Brave NoiseCat and Emily Kassie's 'Sugarcane' (Nat Geo).Notably, Bellomo is the only American filmmaker nominated this year. Last year, the doc branch did not nominate any American directors. Ito's 'Black Box Diaries,' which debuted at the 2024 Sundance Film Festival, chronicles the investigation of the director's arduous, five-year struggle to bring to justice renowned TV reporter Noriyuki Yamaguchi, who sexually assaulted her. Since the film's debut in Park City, Ito, who is the first Japanese filmmaker to be nominated for an Oscar for best doc feature, says that she has met many survivors of sexual violence who shared that watching her doc inspired them to tell their own assault stories.'What I really want to highlight for survivors is that the most important mission is to survive,' says Ito. 'If survival means staying silent, then that's completely OK. There's no need to share your story unless it feels right for you. What I hope people understand is that if you carry trauma, finding a way to express yourself on your own terms can be deeply empowering.' The Oscar nomination for 'Black Box Diaries' could, Ito says, 'inspire conversations in Japan about how legal systems can better support survivors of sexual violence.''I am very hopeful that this recognition will help push for change, both in the (Japan) penal code and in broader cultural attitudes. Legal reforms are a critical step, and I truly believe they will lead to a cultural shift that prioritizes justice and support.'This year's frontrunner, 'No Other Land,' depicts the Israeli government's efforts to force Palestinians from their homes in Masafer Yatta in the southern West Bank. The Palestinian-Israeli film has been steadily gaining accolades ever since it scored the best documentary prize at last year's Berlin Film timely piece, which shows the gradual demolition of houses and entire villages by the Israeli military's bulldozers, has won the top prizes from the New York Film Critics Circle, the Gotham Awards and the IDA. In January, the doc won the NBR Freedom of Expression kudo. Most recently, 'No Other Land' was nominated for a BAFTA and an Independent Spirit while it has been picked up for distribution in 24 countries — including the United Kingdom and France — 'No Other Land' has been unable to find a distributor in the U.S., which given major streamer's fear of purchasing polarizing political content, is not exactly surprising.'The film has distribution all over the world, and there's a really big demand for it in the United States, so you would expect a big distributor to jump on board,' director Yuval Abraham told Variety. 'We're obviously talking about the Israeli military occupation of the West Bank, and it's very ugly. The film is very, very critical of Israeli policies. As an Israeli, I think that's a really good thing because we need to be critical of these policies so they can change. But I think the conversation in the United States appears to be far less nuanced — there is much less space for this kind of criticism, even when it comes in the form of a film.'Bellomo and Leontyev's 'Porcelain War' also does not have mainstream U.S. distribution. The doc tells the story of porcelain artists whose lives are turned upside down by the terrors of the war in Ukraine. The film follows Leontyev and fellow artists Anya Stasenko and Andrey Stefanov, who all choose to help their countries fight off the Russian invasion. Despite daily shelling, Stasenko finds resistance and purpose in her art, Stefanov takes the dangerous journey to get his young family to safety abroad, and Leontyev becomes a weapons instructor for regular people who have become unlikely its 2024 Sundance debut, where it won the Grand Jury prize for a U.S. documentary, the film went on a successful film festival circuit run and won the DGA award for outstanding directorial achievement in documentary. The film also scored a PGA nomination. Yet, like 'No Other Land,' 'Porcelain War' did not find traditional U.S. distribution. In August, the film team decided to do a service deal with Picturehouse.'We have felt incredibly fortunate to have partnered with Picturehouse for U.S. theatrical distribution, but there is more work to be done,' says 'Porcelain War' producer Paula DuPré Pesmen. 'As we have traveled with the film-to-film festivals all over the world this past year, it has become clear that audiences are deeply connected with the humanity, beauty and hope of this story. Making the film available to audiences worldwide is crucial, not just for Ukraine but for democracy. Our dream is that the honor of this nomination will expand the opportunities for 'Porcelain War' to be shared with everyone.'Grimonprez's 'Soundtrack to a Coup d'Etat,' which premiered at Sundance in 2024, is an impressionistic essay film that looks back at the hopeful rise of Patrice Lumumba, who became the first prime minister of the newly independent Congo in 1960, only to be deposed a few months later and executed the following year. The director expertly juxtaposes the story of Lumumba's murder with a musical tour of jazzman Louis Armstrong and with the expansion of the United Nations after the independence of many African countries in the January, Grimonprez told Variety, 'At first, I wanted to explore the colonial legacy of my own country. I was already mesmerized by the story of Andrée Blouin, who was an independence leader, an advisor to [Ghana president] Kwame Nkrumah and chief of protocol for [first Congolese prime minister] Patrice Lumumba, but who was almost written out of history. And as a filmmaker, I like to explore those intimate stories within a wider, global picture.'The film garnered the Sundance World Cinema Documentary Special Jury Award for Cinematic Innovation and has since taken home an IDA award for best editing. Most recently, the doc was nominated for an Independent Spirit Award.'Sugarcane' first premiered at Sundance 2024, where it picked up the directing kudo. Nat Geo later acquired the film about the abuse and death of Indigenous children at a Canadian-based Indian Residential School. The doc explores how Indigenous communities were forced to suppress years of separation, assimilation and abuse committed against their children by a system designed to 'solve the Indian problem.'In January, the doc won the NBR for best documentary and has been nominated for the Independent Spirit's Truer Than Fiction award.''Sugarcane' has already helped rewrite history, screening in Canadian Parliament and the White House,' the directors said in a joint statement to Variety. 'We are hopeful this incredible recognition from the Academy will not only make sure the story is known, and justice is served. It is long past time for governments and churches to open all their records so that survivors, their families, and all people who call North America home can know the truth.' More from Variety Why 'Queer' and 'I Saw the TV Glow' Are the Kind of LGBTQ+ Movies That Deserve Awards Attention Are the Oscars Scared of Sex? Dylan O'Brien Used Director James Sweeney's 'Gay Scale' to Play Brothers in 'Twinless': He'd Say 'You Were Too Straight on That' Best of Variety Oscar Predictions: Best Supporting Actress — Will Zoe Saldaña be 'Emilia Perez's' Redemption or Is Ariana Grande Too 'Popular' to Lose? Oscar Predictions: Best Actress — Demi Moore Is Out Front, but Fernanda Torres Could be a Spoiler Oscar Predictions: Best Actor — Adrien Brody vs. Timothée Chalamet, but Who Wins?
Yahoo
06-02-2025
- Entertainment
- Yahoo
Netflix Nearing $5 Million Deal for ‘Perfect Neighbor,' Sundance Documentary About Florida's Stand Your Ground Law (EXCLUSIVE)
'The Perfect Neighbor,' a documentary that examines Florida's Stand Your Ground laws and gun regulations, is in final negotiations to sell to Netflix after premiering at the Sundance Film Festival. The price tag is roughly $5 million, although the deal hasn't been signed. Netflix declined to comment. More from Variety 'Rust' Doc Examining Halyna Hutchins Accidental Death and Aftermath to Premiere on Hulu 'Black Box Diaries' and 'Satisfied' Among 2025 Athena Film Festival Selections (EXCLUSIVE) Netflix, Max and Prime Video Negotiate With French Film Guilds for Earlier Access to New Releases After Disney+ Deal The film, which debuted to critical praise, uses police body-cam footage to tell the story of how a neighborhood dispute slowly escalated into a shocking act of violence. It follows a tragedy that captivated national attention, one in which a woman named Ajike 'AJ' Shantrell Owens was shot and killed by her neighbor, Susan Lorincz, after Lorincz kept complaining about children playing near her apartment. So far, it's been a glacial market with only a handful of films landing distribution out of Sundance. Netflix has been the most prolific buyer, also nabbing rights to 'Train Dreams,' an acclaimed drama starring Joel Edgerton and Felicity Jones. Elsewhere, A24 scored a festival favorite in 'Sorry, Baby,' Sideshow and Janus Films landed the Ira Sach two-hander 'Peter Hujar's Day,' while Neon emerged victorious in a bidding war for 'Together,' a body-horror thriller starring real-life couple Dave Franco and Alison Brie. 'The Perfect Neighbor' was seen as one of the most accomplished and powerful documentaries to play at the festival and is believed to have awards potential. Geeta Gandbhir directed the film and had a personal connection to the story. Owens was her sister-in-law's best friend. Soledad O'Brien serves as an executive producer. In an interview with Variety, Gandbhir said that she decided to put the focus of the film on the police footage instead of having it contain interviews with people impacted by the incident because it gave the story more immediacy. 'You see Susan's interactions with the police over two years,' she said. 'You see this trail and the developments as they occur, and the issue gets worse. You see the inability and the helplessness of law enforcement to really manage it or to even see her as a threat. But you also see this beautiful, diverse and close-knit community who are taking care of each other's kids. Susan is this outlier, in a way that she is this looming threat that keeps encroaching and getting closer and closer, and there is no way to mitigate it.' Cinetic Media handled the sale of the film.
