Filmmakers promote misogynist ideas for blockbuster hits, said speakers at a discussion held at the Dhaka Club on Sunday.

They also said that a lot of negative masculinity surrounded a patriarchal culture, and film-makers depicted patriarchy, violence and monolithic portrayal of women.

These tendencies promote misogynist ideas among the audience, they added.

They made the remarks at the opening ceremony of the two-day-long 11th Dhaka International Conference on Women in Cinema 2025, which was inaugurated by vice-chancellor of Central Women’s University Parvin Hasan by lighting lamps.

The conference has been organised as part of the ongoing 23rd Dhaka International Film Festival.

Chairperson of the film festival Kishwar Kamal chaired the inaugural ceremony, which was moderated by screenwriter and film critic Sadia Khalid Reeti. 

Chinese director Zhang Yudi and country director of ActionAid Bangladesh Farah Kabir spoke at the event as special guests while president of Rainbow Film Society Ahmed Mujtaba Jamal delivered a welcome speech.

Parvin Hasan said that visuals were always important as these told a thousand words and a good movie was a cultural resource. 

‘For healthy entertainment, alternative films must be treated as mainstream films and filmmakers must focus on social responsibility alongside commercial success,’ said Parvin Hasan.

Farah Kabir said that filmmakers depicted patriarchy, violence and monolithic portrayal of women that promoted misogynist ideas in society.

A seminar titled Tradition Meets Modernity: Female Peking Opera Performers in Chinese Films from Classical Narratives to Contemporary Realism was presented by Zhang Yudi was following the inaugural ceremony.

Producer and the artistic director of China Golden Rooster Film Festival Rainbow Fong and British Bangladeshi filmmaker Leesa Gazi spoke on the topic which was presided over by Farah Kabir.

Another seminar titled The Future of Women and Film Making was also presented by Naeema Chaudhury at the event.

Today, two seminars and a declaration of the conference will be held at the venue.