Having earned her bachelor’s degree from İstanbul Technical University’s Departments of Environmental Engineering and Sociology, Esra Yıldız went on to complete her master’s and PhD degrees at the Department of Art History at the same university. She continued her post-doctoral work at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales. Her 2010 debut documentary Sayfalar Arasında Bir Gölge: Sahaf Vahan was screened at film festivals in Turkey and around the world. Yıldız teaches at İstanbul Bilgi University.