The Global Lens series of films from around the world continues at Bates College with Ordinary People by Serbian director Vladimir Perisic, showing at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 12, and 6 p.m. Monday, Nov. 15, at the Ronj, Bates’ student-run coffeehouse at 32 Frye St.

Admission is $5. Made in 2009, “Ordinary People” is in Serbian with English subtitles (79 min.). For more information, please contact 207-786-6135 or this olinarts@bates.edu.

The Global Film Initiative produces the series in an effort to promote cross-cultural understanding through the medium of cinema by showing little-known, skillfully made independent films to American audiences. The initiative believes that “a powerful, authentic narrative can foster trust and respect between disparate cultures and mitigate the social and psychological impact of cultural prejudice.”

Set in an unspecified time of conflict in the Balkans, Ordinary People captures the psychological toll of war on its participants, and the universal struggle of all soldiers to reconcile morality with action.

On a seemingly average day, a busload of young soldiers is sent to a remote location in the countryside and given a macabre task: the execution of a number of civilians. Dzoni, a green recruit, initially objects, but as he moves from one killing to the next, he is swept up by the specter of military authority, and quickly becomes desensitized by the apparently routine nature of his task. As he nears the end of his assignment, the quiet horror of the day slowly begins to affect him, forcing a painful reconciliation with his actions.

Perisic has directed several short films including Realitatvirtust and Miloch. His graduation film, Dremano Oko, was selected for Cinefondation at the Cannes International Film Festival in 2003. Ordinary People is his first feature film.

The Global Lens series of international films at Bates continues with The Photograph, by Indonesian director Nan Achnas, in 8 p.m. showings on Friday, Oct. 9, and Sunday, Oct. 11, in Room 105, Olin Arts Center, 75 Russell St.

Hosted by the Bates College Museum of Art, the series continues on Fridays and Sundays throughout the fall. Admission is $5. “The Photograph” (98 min.) is in Indonesian with English subtitles. For more information, please contact 207-786-6135 or this olinarts@bates.edu.

The annual series is produced by the Global Film Initiative to promote cross-cultural understanding by showing American audiences little-known, skillfully made independent films. The initiative believes that “a powerful, authentic narrative can foster trust and respect between disparate cultures and mitigate the social and psychological impact of cultural prejudice.”

The Photograph tells the story of a young prostitute, Sita. While trying to support her family, develop a career as a singer and avoid abuse from her pimp, Sita develops a relationship with an elderly photographer desperate to pass on his business before he dies.

The Photograph is Achnas’ fourth feature. She holds a master’s degree in film from the University of East Anglia, U.K. She is a highly regarded documentary filmmaker and her work has been screened at festivals around the world. She teaches film studies and directing at the Jakarta Institute of the Arts.

Learn more about The Photograph and the entire series.

Hosted by the Bates College Museum of Art, the series continues throughout the fall. Admission is $5. Sleepwalking Land (97 min.) is in Portuguese with English subtitles. For more information, please contact 207-786-6135 or this olinarts@bates.edu.

The annual series is produced by the Global Film Initiative to promote cross-cultural understanding by showing American audiences little-known, skillfully made independent films. The initiative believes that “a powerful, authentic narrative can foster trust and respect between disparate cultures and mitigate the social and psychological impact of cultural prejudice.”

A 2007 adaptation of the Portuguese novel of the same name by Mia Coutou, Sleepwalking Land tells the story of a young boy growing up during the Mozambican civil war. An orphan combing the war-torn countryside of Mozambique in search of his mother, Muidinga’s only companion is an elderly storyteller.

Sleepwalking Land is Prata’s first feature film. Born in Portugal but raised in Mozambique, she studied biology at the University of Coimbra, but also has a degree in screenwriting and directing from the German Film and Television School.

Learn more about Sleepwalking Land and the entire Global Lens series.

The Global Lens film series at Bates College continues with Song from the Southern Seas, by Kazakhstani director Marat Sarulu, in 8 p.m. showings on Friday, Nov. 6, and Sunday, Nov. 8, in Room 105, Olin Arts Center, 75 Russell St.

Hosted by the Bates College Museum of Art, the series continues throughout the fall. Admission is $5. Song from the Southern Seas (80 min.) is in Russian with English subtitles. For more information, please contact 207-786-6135 or this olinarts@bates.edu.

The annual series is produced by the Global Film Initiative to promote cross-cultural understanding by showing American audiences little-known, skillfully made independent films. The initiative believes that “a powerful, authentic narrative can foster trust and respect between disparate cultures and mitigate the social and psychological impact of cultural prejudice.”

Released in 2008, Song from the Southern Seas takes on issues of race and ethnicity in one of the most remote areas on Earth. Set in the Great Steppe of Central Asia, the film depicts two couples, one Russian and one Kazakh, living side-by-side in relative harmony, until the fair-skinned Russians’ baby appears to have much darker skin, leading to a story that is at times brilliantly witty or darkly somber.

Song from the Southern Seas is Sarulu’s third feature film. Born in the former Soviet Union in present-day Kyrgyzstan, he studied philology at Kyrgyz National University in Bishkek, graduating in 1980, and also studied at the Moscow Cinema Academy.

Learn more about the Global Lens series.

The Global Lens film series at Bates College continues with Those Three, by Iranian director Naghi Nemati, in 8 p.m. showings on Friday, Nov. 13, and Sunday, Nov. 15, in Room 105, Olin Arts Center, 75 Russell St.

Hosted by the Bates College Museum of Art, the series continues on Fridays and Sundays throughout the fall. Admission is $5. Those Three (80 min.) is in Farsi and Turkish with English subtitles. For more information, please contact 207-786-6135 or this olinarts@bates.edu.

The annual series is produced by the Global Film Initiative to promote cross-cultural understanding by showing American audiences little-known, skillfully made independent films. The initiative believes that “a powerful, authentic narrative can foster trust and respect between disparate cultures and mitigate the social and psychological impact of cultural prejudice.”

Made in 2007, Those Three is about three conscripts in the Iranian Army who, just one day before completing their military training, desert their camp and attempt to survive in the unforgiving wilderness of northern Iran in the midst of winter.

Those Three is Nemati’s first feature film. Born in Ardebil, Iran, in 1977, he studied film directing at Soureh College of Isfahan, Iran. He began making short films in 1993. His first film, Like the Umbrella of the Kids was screened at numerous film festivals around the world and received several awards.

Learn more about Those Three and the entire Global Lens series.

The Global Lens film series at Bates College concludes with Margarette’s Feast, a film from Brazilian director Renato Falcão. The film will be shown at 8 p.m. on Friday, Dec.11, and Sunday, Dec. 13, in the Olin Arts Center, Room 105, 75 Russell St.

Hosted by the Bates College Museum of Art, the series has been held on Fridays and Sundays throughout the fall. Admission is $5. For more information, please contact 207-786-6135 or this olinarts@bates.edu.

The annual series is produced by the Global Film Initiative to promote cross-cultural understanding by showing American audiences little-known, skillfully made independent films. The initiative believes that “a powerful, authentic narrative can foster trust and respect between disparate cultures and mitigate the social and psychological impact of cultural prejudice.”

Made in 2002, Margarette’s Feast (90 min.) is a black-and-white silent film. It’s the story of a man named Pedro who, upon losing his job, comes across a magical suitcase that never runs out of money. This discovery sets Pedro off on a spending spree that culminates in a lavish birthday feast for his wife Margarette. The film is both a fantastical story and an exploration of the social conflicts of contemporary Brazil.

Brazilian-born director Renato Falcão has shot five feature films, more than 20 short films and numerous documentaries. He has won several awards at various film festivals around the world, including Best New Director at the “35 Festival de Cinema de Brasilia” for Margarette’s Feast, his first feature film.

Learn more about Margarette’s Feast and the Global Lens series.

Hosted by the Bates College Museum of Art, the series continues on Fridays and Sundays throughout the fall. Admission is $5. Possible Lives (80 min.) is in Spanish with English subtitles. For more information, please contact 207-786-6135 or this olinarts@bates.edu.

The annual series is produced by the Global Film Initiative to promote cross-cultural understanding by showing American audiences little-known, skillfully made independent films. The initiative believes that “a powerful, authentic narrative can foster trust and respect between disparate cultures and mitigate the social and psychological impact of cultural prejudice.”

Made in 2007, Possible Lives is a film about grief and letting go. When Clara’s husband disappears on a trip in remote Patagonia, she sets off to find him — but instead finds a man who looks exactly like her husband but has a completely different life. Convinced this man is indeed her husband, she calls off her search, even as police uncover a body that may be that of her husband. Drawing on some of the world’s most dramatic scenery, the film is noted for its cinematography as well as its story and acting.

Possible Lives is Gugliotta’s second feature film. A native of Buenos Aires, Argentina, she studied film at Escuela Nacional de Experimentación y Realización Cinematográfica in Madrid. Her first full-length film, A Lucky Day, won the Caligari Film Award at the Berlin International Film Festival.

Learn more about Possible Lives and the entire Global Lens series.

Hosted by the Bates College Museum of Art, the series continues on Fridays and Sundays throughout the fall. Admission is $5. For more information, please contact 207-786-6135 or this olinarts@bates.edu.

The series is produced by the Global Film Initiative to promote cross-cultural understanding by showing little-known, skillfully made independent films to American audiences. The initiative believes that “a powerful, authentic narrative can foster trust and respect between disparate cultures and mitigate the social and psychological impact of cultural prejudice.”

My Time Will Come tells the story of Dr. Arturo Fernandez , a reclusive Quito coroner. Through the film, a series of interwoven tragedies leads the protagonist to reconcile his relationships with both the living and the dead.

Made in 2008, the film is in Spanish with English subtitles (90 mins.).

After working as a director of photography for television and documentary films, winning awards and acclaim from organizations such as UNICEF, Arregui produced his first short film, El Tropezon in 1999. His first full-length film, Offside, was screened at over 30 film festivals. My Time Will Come is his second feature film.

Learn more about My Time Will Come and the entire Global Lens series.

Hosted by the Bates College Museum of Art, the series continues on Fridays and Sundays throughout the fall. Admission is $5. Mutum is in Portuguese with English subtitles (86 min.). For more information, please contact 207-786-6135 or this olinarts@bates.edu.

The annual series is produced by the Global Film Initiative to promote cross-cultural understanding by showing American audiences little-known, skillfully made independent films. The initiative believes that “a powerful, authentic narrative can foster trust and respect between disparate cultures and mitigate the social and psychological impact of cultural prejudice.”

A 2007 adaptation of Campo Geral, a short story by J. Guimarães Rosa, Mutum depicts Thiago, a sensitive and imaginative young boy living on a small farm. His life, filled with the reality of his parents’ unhappy marriage and his father’s abuse, changes completely after a single chance encounter.

In order to capture the details of rural Brazilian life, Kogut set up workshops where local children and farmers could work together with the actors. According to Kogut, “their backgrounds, their personalities and comments helped to build the world in which the film would later be set.”

Mutum is described by Daniel Getahun of “Getafilm” as “richly layered with religious and cultural themes.” The film offers “moments of joy that are so pure and innocent that you’ll feel like crying.”

Mutum is Kogut’s first feature film and has been well-received at festivals around the world, winning the best film prizes at festivals in locations as varied as South Africa, Mexico and Israel.

Kogut began her career creating performance pieces and installations in Brazil, France and the United States. These short films have been shown at such locations as the Guggenheim and the Museum of Modern Art.

Learn more about Mutum and the entire Global Lens series.

Now in its second season at Bates College, the 2009 Global Lens film series features the Macedonian film I Am From Titov Veles in showings at 8 p.m. Friday and Sunday, Sept. 18 and 20, in Room 105 of the Olin Arts Center, 75 Russell St.

Hosted by the Bates College Museum of Art, the series continues on Fridays and Sundays at the same time and location throughout the fall. Admission is $5. For more information, please contact 207-786-6135 or this olinarts@bates.edu.

Written and directed by Teona Strugar Mitevska, I Am From Titov Veles is a contemporary story that follows three sisters who take different paths out of their decaying hometown (2007; 102 min. In Macedonian with English subtitles).

The Global Lens series is produced by the nonprofit Global Film Initiative, created to promote cross-cultural understanding through cinema. Although American film continues to thrive in the global marketplace, filmmaking in the developing world has suffered from shifting economic conditions in financing and distribution. As a result, audiences in the United States have been denied the rich cultural lessons these films have to offer.

Mitevska’s film is set in the scarred town of Veles, where the sisters long to escape the suffocating environment of their dying community. Burdened by memories of their late father, Sapho struggles to secure a visa to Greece, Slavica desperately searches for a rich husband and Afrodita harbors hopes for love and children. Mitevska blends stark realism with memorable performances to create a vivid landscape of life and longing in post-communist Macedonia.

Mitevska was born in Skopje, Macedonia, in 1974. As a child she acted in commercials and dramas in the theater, television and radio. She later trained as a painter and obtained her bachelor’s degree in graphic design. In 1998, she enrolled in the MFA film program at New York University’s Tisch School of Arts. Her first feature film, “How I Killed A Saint,” screened successfully at festivals around the world. I Am From Titov Veles is her second feature film.

Here’s the remaining Global Lens schedule at Bates:

Mutum, a coming-of-age story set in rural Brazil and directed by Sandra Kogut (Sept. 25 and 27).

My Time Will Come, a murder story directed by Ecuadorian director Víctor Arregui and focusing on a doctor at the city morgue forced to confront his connection to the living and the dead (Oct. 2 and 4).

The Photograph, Indonesian director Nan Triveni Achnas’ story of the unlikely but powerful relationship between a young prostitute and an elderly portrait photographer (Oct. 9 and 11).

Possible Lives, a haunting and suspenseful study of grief and letting go by Argentinian director Sandra Gugliotta (Oct. 16 and 18).

Sleepwalking Land, which follows an orphaned refugee on a journey with an elderly storyteller to find his mother after a devastating civil war. Directed by Teresa Prata of Mozambique (Oct. 30 and Nov. 1).

Song from the Southern Seas, by Kazakh director Marat Sarulu, a film described as “darkly somber” and “tender and wistful” that deals with suspicion and cultural differences between longtime friends (Nov. 6 and 8).

Those Three, by Iranian director Naghi Nemati, tells of friends who desert their military training and attempt to survive in the wilderness of northern Iran (Nov. 13 and 15).

What a Wonderful World by Moroccan director Faouzi Bensaïdi closes the series with a film illustrating the complex web of connections between a prostitute, traffic cop and contract killer in modern Casablanca (Dec. 4 and 6).