Leyla Bouzid was born in 1984 in Tunisia and grew up in Tunis. In 2003, she went to Paris to study French literature at the Sorbonne, and then joined the directing department of La Fémis. After several award-winning short films, she directed in 2015 debut feature film As I Open My Eyes. The film was presented at the 72nd Venice Film Festival, before winning more than 40 international awards and achieving success during its simultaneous theatrical release in France and Tunisia. A Tale of Love and Desire is her second feature film.