Mazhavilmela or Vibgyor International Film Festival 2012 was held in Thrissur from Feb 22 to 26. The seventh edition was a great event with the participation of documentary/short film makers and their films and spectator-activists from all over the world.
Jai Bhim Comrade, the opening movie by Anand Patwardhan was a critical act of defiance against the growth of Indian fascism, especially in the post Gujarath India. Political documentaries by David Bradbury and Frencesco Tabone were also illuminating on similar issues of inequality and violence all over the world.
The fest was also a meeting point for activists and students from various parts of Kerala. It was a carnival of music and dance with an accent on the politics of culture. The atmosphere of cultural interaction and micro and minor resistance was meaningful.
Conferences and campaigns on key issues of life and livelihood in South Asia was apt and relevant. It was a true celebration of differences and diversities. Minor and little subjects and expressions got their space and voice in this new age festival.