The panel held at the 28th Flying Broom International Women’s Film Festival in Celebration of FIPRESCI’s 100th Anniversary, offered a rich and honest discussion on gender bias in cinema, the challenges of practicing criticism today, and the ongoing struggle to make space for diverse voices in film culture.
In a time when cinema and film criticism alike are facing deep transformations, the 28th Flying Broom International Women’s Film Festival hosted a timely and thought-provoking panel discussion on Gender Roles in Film Criticism. Held as part of the celebrations for the 100th anniversary of FIPRESCI (the International Federation of Film Critics), the event brought together four women critics from different cultural and professional backgrounds to reflect on the challenges and opportunities of film criticism from a gender-conscious perspective.
Moderated by veteran Turkish film critic and FIPRESCI Vice-President Alin Taşçıyan, the panel featured three members of this year’s FIPRESCI jury—Adriana Fernández (Mexico), Bettina Hirsch (Germany), and myself, Senem Erdine (Turkey)—alongside guest speaker Esin Küçüktepepınar, current president of the Turkish Film Critics Association (SIYAD).
Alin Taşçıyan opened the panel with a striking quote from The New York Times critic Manohla Dargis: “The truth is, if I were hung up about every predatory director or every degrading image of a woman, I couldn’t be a film critic. So I watch, loving movies that don’t necessarily love or even like women.”
This powerful reflection set the tone for the discussion, highlighting the complex tension between our deep love for cinema and our awareness of its deeply rooted gender biases. It framed the conversation around a central paradox: how can we continue to engage with and critique a cinematic tradition that has long marginalized or misrepresented women? Alin followed up with two essential questions that shaped the rest of the panel: How do you watch and evaluate films? What are the main gender biases you encounter in cinema?
These questions opened the floor to a thoughtful exchange about how gender awareness shapes our critical approach, and how we navigate the contradictions of working within a field that is still far from equitable.
Esin Küçüktepepınar highlighted how cinema both reflects and reinforces patriarchal norms, yet remains a key arena of resistance. She emphasized the deeply rooted gender biases in language and representation, and the skewed demographics within the field of film criticism – both globally and in Turkey. Drawing attention to the underrepresentation of women and the prevalence of both hostile and ‘protective’ sexism – which is subtler and therefore more dangerous – in reviews, she offered examples of how women filmmakers such as Agnès Varda, Kathryn Bigelow or Lucrecia Martel have had their work either misunderstood or marginally accepted within a male-dominated cinematic and critical landscape.
Adriana Fernández offered insights from her experience as a critic in Mexico, recalling how she was often assigned to review films presumed to match her gender – romantic comedies, family dramas – especially as a young woman and mother. She spoke eloquently about reclaiming affective, personal, and narrative-based approaches to criticism as forms of valid expertise. Adriana also cautioned against the tendency to either automatically praise or condescendingly dismiss films directed by women, advocating instead for a more nuanced and critically engaged approach to all cinema.
Bettina Hirsch reflected on her experience in Germany, emphasizing that film criticism is inherently subjective. She shared how the Berlinale’s evolving gender representation – from 0% films directed by women included in the competition in 2005 to 42% today – has created a more diverse critical conversation. Her radio program’s “He Said/She Said” format illustrates how differing perspectives enrich cinematic discourse and challenge monolithic interpretations.
As for me, I attempted to frame the gender question within a broader historical and ideological analysis. Drawing from feminist and Marxist theory, I explored how gender roles are constructed and reinforced within capitalist systems, and how cinema often serves to reproduce these norms – through advertising, narrative tropes, and character archetypes. I also reflected on how feminist film theory enabled me to revisit the cinematic canon with fresh eyes, and to recognize the marginalization of voices such as Chantal Akerman’s. Feminist movements and scholarship have equipped us to uncover what has long remained invisible or unspoken in film history and criticism.
Although the panel addressed systemic challenges – from deeply rooted gender bias to the decline of independent criticism – our conversation ended on a note of determination. I concluded my remarks with a hopeful reflection on the significance of continuing this work, especially in the face of growing economic, political and cultural pressures:
“The influence of culture, art, and criticism on society may be waning – but that only makes our struggle more urgent and meaningful. In a time when sustaining a career in film criticism is increasingly precarious, and opportunities to write with integrity and dignity are becoming scarce, our dedication to this craft is more vital than ever. Every review we write, every film we thoughtfully program, is not just an act of criticism – it’s an act of resistance.”
By Senem Erdine
Edited by Yael Shuv
@FIPRESCI 2025