Thrissur: Thursday, February 18, 2010: ‘Mazhavil mela’ 2010 a festival of documentaries and short films began at the Sangeetha Nataka Akademi, here on Wednesday.Human rights activist Binayak Sen inaugurated the festival. The theme of the festival is South Asia; Justice, Peace, Democracy.

The festival will move in the retrospective with the films of Ruhi Hamid. The list includes Lahore Law, Illicit affair, the rock star and Mullahs, Islam Unveiled, Front line Laos, at the epicentre, Rebuilding Afghanistan, Looking good, Lessons for the future and inside a shariath court A package of films by Andre Louis Oliveira will also be presented at the event which will go on till February 21.

Delivering the key note address at a seminar organized in connection with the film festival, Mr. Binayak Sen said the resistance of the poor, downtrodden, including the tribes and dalits is for their existence.He said these sections are exploited widely and they are turning against the governments.

The benefits of the projects set up by the governments for their welfare are not reaching into their hands, he said and added that steps should be taken to ensure their prosperity and rehabilitation.