By Chlotrudis Independent Film Society
Director: Shiori Itô
Year: 2025
Running time: 102
IMDB: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt30227076
Julie says: “I was curious to see this, due to what Michael said and RT ratings showed, but also after reading Thom’s comment….
‘Riveting film, though it does have a POV slant that’s hard to shake…. Was deeply moved by it when I saw it, but it had a strange ephemeralness to it and dropped of my best doc radar’
“Not sure what is meant as to “‘though it does have a pov that is hard to shake….’ I do get what you mean that due it’s strange ephemeralness.
“It could drop off of my best docs list, yes perhaps, too soon to tell, so far it’s on my list but it’s the first doc of 2025 for me….. Regardless it is something everyone should see. Like after seeing SUGARCANE, I was thinking at the end how could I/more people?(assumption here) not know about this ? I feel ashamed not to be more well informed sometimes. And while it was an unbelievable story I totally understood how it could happen based upon all I do know re all the different elements at play. Some things I learned or were reinforced as still happening in a similar form from seeing movies recommended by the group.”
Laks responds: “I may be wrong but I think there were efforts to suppress the story in Japan and there was some also some backlash from Shiori’s own supporters regarding ethics of the film which we discussed yesterday. It’s an important story that everyone can learn from. I thought Shiori’s victory message at the end should be remembered as and when we learn about survivor stories, which often is when they’ve won a major court case.”
Tom responds: “The POV is that the subject and the author are the same so that’s a steep bias just by construct. But Ito does a strong job of holding an even lens though out, which is impressive considering the nature of the ordeal (I think part of that is Ito’s background in journalism), but you don’t know that fer sure until you dig around and do some reading.
“The opening images are damning and hard to shake, and there’s no denying the trauma of the event and the ordeal of coming out about it publicly, but somehow the film is muted by the end.
“I’d need to resee it, but when I saw it (like a year ago) I could not stop thinking about it until I did, and then it was like it was wiped from my mind.”
Julie responds: “I think it’s muted as she has been beaten down by threats, non-action, accusations it was her fault, knowing the system she is trying to fight in is corrupt, so yeah maybe what she did was not ethical in recording all the time and putting all that in the film? what else could she do and where it mattered she informed people she wanted to use their recording I believe? I think that always the case? It is scary for her knowing that people were scared to corroborate her story as they would be risking their livelihood and maybe more? I think on top of the trauma you know she’s scared….for the rest of her life…..?for her life maybe that of her family’s….. that is f’d up!”