FORM-Idea

By Beverly AndrewsAfter a year marked by not one, but two major strikes—from the Screen Actors Guild and the Writers Guild—that brought much of Hollywood to a standstill, critics approached this year’s Sundance Film Festival with cautious curiosity. Would the twin labor disputes, now resolved, cast a long shadow over the quality of films on display?

The answer, it seems, is a resounding no. Buzz around this year’s premieres is as strong as ever, echoing the excitement of past festivals. Among the standout titles, the moving documentary Super/Man, about the late Christopher Reeve, has already been acquired by Warner Bros., while the noir western Love Lies Bleeding, starring Kristen Stewart, is poised to become a global sensation.

Yet, as always, the true cinematic treasures are often not the high-profile premieres but the quieter, lesser-known films that slip under the media radar. Two of my personal favourites this year fall squarely into that category: Baigal Nuur (Lake Baikal), an enchanting animated short exploring environmental themes, and Black Box Diaries, a searing Japanese documentary that examines the devastating aftermath of sexual assault. Both left a deep impression—and, for me, stand among the finest films I’ve seen in years.

Black Box Diaries is a documentary that follows a young Japanese woman’s seven-year struggle for justice in a country that, until recently, did not legally recognize the absence of consent as grounds for a rape conviction. Shiori Ito’s prolonged battle was not only a challenge to Japan’s outdated legal system but also a courageous stand against a deeply ingrained culture that often shields powerful men from accountability.

Ito’s story begins in a public restaurant, where, as a 25-year-old reporter, she accepted an invitation to meet one of Japan’s most prominent television journalists, Noriyuki Yamaguchi—a close associate and biographer of then-Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. According to Ito, she sensed something was amiss as soon as she arrived and realized the meeting was to be just the two of them, despite having previously been told that colleagues would also be present. She also recalls feeling an immediate and unusual reaction to a drink she was given, which left her suddenly intoxicated.

According to Ito, she was driven by Yamaguchi’s chauffeur to his hotel despite repeatedly pleading to be let out of the car. She says she was then physically dragged into the hotel by Yamaguchi. Once inside his room, Ito states that she was raped. Although CCTV footage from the hotel entrance appears to corroborate parts of her account, and two witnesses—the chauffeur and the hotel doorman—also supported elements of her story, the criminal case was ultimately dismissed.

What Ito chooses to do next becomes the heart of the film. She files a civil lawsuit, writes a book detailing the incident, and—true to her profession—decides to document every step of her journey. This thrusts Shiori Ito into an intense public spotlight, one she neither sought nor was prepared for. In Japan, speaking openly about sexual assault is still widely considered shameful, let alone taking legal action. Yet Ito’s fight ultimately had far-reaching consequences—not just for her, but for the country at large—as many women began to see her struggle as their own.

Baigal Nuur

A very different film is the enchanting nine-minute animated short Baigal Nuur – Lake Baikal. This beautifully crafted piece traces the formation of Lake Baikal in Siberia, narrated by the voice of a Buryat woman speaking the endangered Buryat-Mongolian language. Visually stunning and emotionally resonant, the film offers a moving portrait of what stands to be lost if climate change remains unaddressed. With quiet elegance, it delivers a powerful message about the urgent need for environmental protection. Taken together, these films serve as a reminder that true cinematic treasures often emerge from the most unexpected corners of the festival.