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Unknown Continent

Merve is a former athlete living on the Anatolian side of Istanbul, making a living by selling performance-enhancing drugs. Upon receiving the news of her father's death in Belgium, Merve finds herself faced with a choice between two continents. This decision will also lead to losing one of the two people she loves... Will she choose her sister who dreams of a life abroad or the athlete she is in love with?

  • Murat Arda Gürsoy
    Director
  • Murat Arda Gürsoy
    Writer
  • Yiğit Serdar Canoğlu
    Producer
  • Ilgıt Uçum
    Key Cast
    "Merve"
  • Zeynep Su Topal
    Key Cast
    "Merve's Sister"
  • İpek Sobutay
    Key Cast
    "Sena"
  • Aude Ruyter
    Key Cast
    "Belgian Officer"
  • Beril Tan
    Assistant Director
  • Tolga Pekar
    Cinematographer
  • Lal Yılmazoğlu
    Art Director
  • Alya Çelik
    Art Director
  • Project Title (Original Language):
    Karşı
  • Project Type:
    Short
  • Runtime:
    13 minutes 55 seconds
  • Completion Date:
    February 1, 2024
  • Country of Origin:
    Turkey
  • Country of Filming:
    Turkey
  • Language:
    French, Turkish
  • Shooting Format:
    4K Video
  • Aspect Ratio:
    4:3
  • Film Color:
    Color
  • First-time Filmmaker:
    No
  • Student Project:
    No
  • 20. Monterrey Film Festival
    Monterrey, Mexico
    World Premiere
  • 11. Riga International Film Festival
    Riga, Latvia
    European Premiere
  • 7. Linz Short Film Festival
    Linz, Austria
    Austrian Premiere
  • Seattle Turkish Film Festival
    Seattle, USA
    American Premiere
Distribution Information
  • Murat Arda Gürsoy
    Country: Worldwide
    Rights: All Rights
Director Biography - Murat Arda Gürsoy

Born in 1998, Murat Arda Gürsoy is a director, script consultant and editor based in Istanbul. He studied film and television at Istanbul Bilgi University and received his master’s degree in Eric Rohmer’s Cinema and French Existentialism. Afterwards, he began working as a script consultant and junior scriptwriter at Ay Yapım, a well-known TV production company in Turkey. His debut short film, “Sun, Moon, and Woman” (2023), supported by the Turkey Ministry of Culture and Tourism Short Film Fund, was showcased at festivals such as Ankara Film Festival, Izmir Short Film Festival and Uşak Short Film Festival, among others. Following the completion of his second short film, “Unknown Continent” (2024), Gürsoy is currently working on his first feature film.

Filmography 

“Sun, Moon and Woman” (2022) - 00:19:08 - Writer & Director

34. Ankara Film Festival, National Short Film Festival, Finalist. 2023- TURKEY
35. Turkische Filmtage München, Official Selection. 2024-GERMANY
30. İFSAK Kısa Film Festivali, Finalist. 2024-TURKEY

24. International İzmir Short Film Festival (Panorama) 2023- TURKEY 

10th International Uşak Short Film Festival, Finalist. 2023- TURKEY
3rd Sultanbeyli International Short Film Festival, Finalist. 2023- TURKEY 

4th Antep Short Film Festival, Finalist. 2023- TURKEY 

7th Güzel Ordu Short Film Festival, Finalist. 2023- TURKEY 

10th Egeart Short Film Festival, Finalist. 2023- TURKEY

6th Red Movie Awards, Finalist. 2023- FRANCE 

4th Monza Film Fest, Honorable Mention. 2023- ITALY 

6th Absurd Film Festival, Finalist. 2023- ITALY

"Unknown Continent" (2024) - 00:13:55 - Writer & Director
20. Monterrey Film Festival, Finalist. 2024 - MEXICO
11. Riga Film Festival, Finalist. 2024 - LATVIA
7. Linz Short Film Festival, Finalist. 2024 - AUSTRIA
Seattle Turkish Film Festival, Finalist. 2024 - USA

Add Director Biography
Director Statement

The starting point of “Unknown Continent” is the dilemma of “leaving-staying” which is a problem many of us experience, regardless of our generation. Believing in a better future always existing in that “unknown continent” beyond our country and the constant struggle of losing the loved ones in our habitat is an ongoing battle... This dilemma also brings about a choice. Most of us, especially the ones in early twenties, feel the weight of this choice. Choosing to go abroad means giving up on our friends and family, while choosing to stay in Turkey means continuing to struggle with financial difficulties and future anxiety. I believe this emotional state (which I've personally experienced) can lead people into pessimism, indetermination and even depression. My aim in the film was to portray this emotional state as realistically, sincerely and minimalistic as possible as a director. I wanted to create a character drama that isn’t fixated on right or wrong, black or white and a film based on the emotions emerged by these gray characters.