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There, in the company of Hanna Aqvilin, a Swedish producer-director she’d met only via Skype, Ito’s determination resurfaced.

One of Ito’s goals for the documentary is to have it shown in Japan, where it has yet to get distribution.

To get around potential liability in “Black Box Diaries,” Ito purchased grainy security footage from the hotel and let viewers see Yamaguchi struggling to haul her lifeless-looking body from the back of a cab, then later hoisting her up as she stumbles unsteadily through the hotel lobby.

One memorable moment involves Ito’s phone conversation with a hotel doorman who had offered to testify on her behalf.

“He remembered talking to police,” Ito says, and believing he’d be called to court for a criminal trial.