Surface Tension underwater key visual
Yüzey Gerilimi

Surface Tension

A film by Hikmet Kerem Özcan

Days before the freediving competition that could set her free, a nineteen-year-old discovers the past she sacrificed everything to escape has taken root in her body.

Official Selection · MIA 2026 Film Co-Production Market · Rome

Director’s premise

“Is it harder to hold your breath underwater than to be unable to breathe on the surface?”

Synopsis

Nineteen-year-old freediver Nare dreams of escaping the confines of her small Aegean town. The national freediving championship, and the support of her coach Tan, offer what feels like her only chance at a different life.

Fifteen days before the competition, Nare discovers she is pregnant. As the future she has been fighting for begins to slip away, she must decide how far she is willing to push herself to hold on to it.

Nare in a wetsuit in an Aegean courtyard

Project information

Original TitleYüzey Gerilimi
Written & Directed byHikmet Kerem Özcan
ProducersZeynep Santıroğlu, Alex Sutherland
Co-ProducerNefes Polat
Production CompaniesAZ Celtic Films, Nefes Films
GenrePsychological Thriller / Coming-of-Age / Sports Drama
ThemesFreedom, Family, Identity, Obsession
LanguageTurkish
Estimated Running Time90–100 Minutes
Shooting FormatDigital 4K / 2.39:1 (Scope)
Market SelectionMIA 2026 · Film Co-Production Market
Production status
Status
In Development
Principal Photography
Planned for Spring 2027
Nare sitting on a wooden pier facing the sea

Creative team

Hikmet Kerem Özcan portrait

Hikmet Kerem Özcan

Writer & Director

Hikmet Kerem Özcan graduated from Mimar Sinan University. After directing award-winning short films and gaining experience in commercials and documentaries, he made his debut feature film, Hakkı (2024). The film follows an ordinary man whose life transforms after discovering an ancient artifact.

Hakkı screened at international festivals including Vancouver, Santa Barbara, Shanghai, and Oldenburg. It won the Audience Award at the Adana Golden Boll Film Festival and the FİLM-YÖN Best Director Award, and is currently streaming on MUBI.

Özcan focuses on creating a universal cinematic language through character-driven stories. Surface Tension will be his second feature film.

Zeynep Santıroğlu portrait

Zeynep Santıroğlu

Producer

Zeynep Santıroğlu’s experience as a producer spans a wide range of formats, including feature films, documentaries, and commercials. In 2010, she co-founded AZ Celtic Films in Istanbul and helped establish it as a leading production house, providing line-production services for major international projects such as Argo, Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy, Guy Ritchie’s Operation Fortune, and the award-winning Aftersun.

Most recently, she produced Hikmet Kerem Özcan’s debut feature, Hakkı (2024). She brings together extensive experience in large-scale international service productions with a strong commitment to independent cinema.