IFFI 2024: Three films spotlight the harrowing realities of sexual harassment
From Shiori Ito’s pursuit of justice in Black Box Diaries to the anguish in Julie Keeps Quiet and the courage in I Am Nevenka, three films at IFFI confront society’s complicity in silencing survivors
“I was in tears when I watched Black Box Diaries. It was such an emotional moment for me as a woman. When a man offered even minimal support to a survivor, it brought me to tears — that’s how deeply it moved me. I’ve only started attending literary and film festivals in the last four or five years. Despite being a college professor for many years, I couldn’t step out of my house into the world all these years. It was always a ‘No’ for me,” said 52-year-old Professor Sangeetha Jaya from Kozhikode, Kerala. She appeared visibly emotional while speaking to The Federal at the Inox theatre complex in Panaji, one of the venues for the ongoing 55th International Film Festival of India (IFFI).
The documentary Black Box Diaries, directed by Japanese journalist and filmmaker Shiori Ito, had clearly struck a chord with her. “This film has left a lasting impact on me,” she added. Black Box Diaries chronicles Ito’s brave pursuit of justice after her sexual assault by a high-profile figure. Through secret recordings, raw footage, and deeply personal narratives, the film unfolds as a gripping thriller. Ito’s quest not only challenges her offender but also sheds light on Japan’s outdated judicial and social norms, marking a turning point in the country’s conversation around sexual violence.
Two films about how society silences women
Black Box Diaries was not the only film at IFFI that delved into the ordeals and resilience of sexual harassment survivors. Several other films also explored the struggles, courage, and determination of individuals confronting such deeply entrenched issues. Icíar Bollaín’s I Am Nevenka and Leonardo Van Dijl’s Julie Keeps Quiet, two feature films, stood out for their exploration of how society silences victims. While the former delves into the direct role of society in perpetuating silence, the latter examines the victim’s internal psychological struggles that compel her to remain quiet.
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I Am Nevenka tells the story of Nevenka Fernández, the first Spanish woman to secure a sexual harassment conviction against a politician. Set in 2001, way before the #MeToo movement, it discusses her case against Ismael Alvarez, the influential mayor of Ponferrada, who brought her into his team as a finance councillor. Building upon the foundation of the 2021 Netflix documentary, Nevenka: Breaking the Silence, directed by Maribel Sánchez-Maroto, Bollain’s film offers a more nuanced exploration of the psychological and social dynamics at play with two brilliant actors, Mireia Oriol and Urko Olazabal playing Nevenka and Alvarez.
The Netflix documentary by Sánchez-Maroto provides the raw, factual foundation of the case through its three-part structure. The documentary’s strength lies in its clinical presentation of events, featuring Nevenka herself recounting her experience 20 years later with a composed directness that proves deeply affecting. The documentary’s wealth of period footage, particularly the blood-chilling scenes of crowds supporting Mayor Ismael Alvarez after his conviction, serves as a powerful historical record of social attitudes toward sexual harassment victims.
Icíar Bollaín’s I Am Nevenka tells the story of Nevenka Fernández, the first Spanish woman to secure a sexual harassment conviction against a politician
Icíar Bollaín’s I Am Nevenka
Bollain’s film begins with Nevenka Fernández as a naive university student returning to her hometown to serve on the local council while pursuing her studies in Madrid. The film’s portrayal of this initial period is particularly striking, showing how gender dynamics immediately came into play. Female colleagues quickly recognised the familiar pattern — a young, attractive woman being positioned for exploitation — while male counterparts chose complicity through silence, prioritising their political relationships over moral obligations.
The contemporary lens of the film particularly emphasises the insidious nature of grooming in professional settings. Nevenka’s initial position — young, educated, and politically ambitious — made her both an attractive target and someone with much to lose by speaking out. The film places Nevenka’s story firmly within the broader context of the #MeToo movement, showing how her courage in speaking out, though decades earlier, aligned with the same battles being fought today. By exposing the calculated nature of workplace harassment and the institutional structures that protect abusers, the film demonstrates how little has changed when it comes to the mechanisms of power and exploitation.
Most importantly, I Am Nevenka reinforces that while the #MeToo movement has created more solidarity among victims, the fundamental challenges of reporting harassment remain. Until society addresses the deep-rooted power structures that enable abuse and silence victims, stories like Nevanka’s will continue to repeat themselves, with new generations of women facing the same impossible choices between career advancement and personal dignity.
Leonardo Van Dijl’s Julie Keeps Quiet follows a young star tennis player at an elite academy who remains silent during an investigation into her coach’s misconduct
Leonardo Van Dijl’s Julie Keeps Quiet
On the other hand, Julie Keeps Quiet follows a young star tennis player at an elite academy who remains silent during an investigation into her coach’s misconduct, despite pressure to speak up. Her silence, to an extent, shields the coach from potential consequences for misconduct. The film masterfully illustrates why victims of sexual harassment often remain silent. Its power lies in showing the psychological weight of unspoken abuse rather than the abuse itself — mirroring how many survivors internalise their experiences.
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Julie’s character embodies what trauma researchers call “psychological avoidance,” where victims maintain silence not just externally but internally, struggling to even acknowledge their experiences to themselves. Her unexplained emotional outbursts and general disorientation reflect common post-traumatic responses, where survivors find themselves overwhelmed by memories and feelings they cannot fully process or express.
By focusing on Julie’s day-to-day life rather than dramatic confrontations, it captures the exhausting reality many survivors face — carrying their trauma while trying to maintain normalcy. Her seeming inability to articulate her experience reflects both the inadequacy of language to capture such violations and the very real fears many survivors have about speaking up: Will they be believed? Will speaking make things worse? Is silence safer? The intentional absence of explicit context forces viewers to sit with Julie’s isolation, creating an empathetic understanding of why many survivors choose silence.
By focusing on consequences rather than causes, Julie Keeps Quiet offers profound insight into why speaking up about sexual harassment remains so difficult for many survivors. The film suggests that silence isn’t simply a choice — it’s often experienced as the only possible response to a reality too painful to voice.